Timber Reloaded
Responsive Fabrication Framework for Reclaimed Materials

Autodesk Residency 2026

Location: Stuttgart, Germany & Boston, MA
Co-Contributers: Adrian Fournier & Priyansh Jain

Status: In progress

This thesis presents a design and fabrication framework that enables in-line structural testing during assembly of structures made from reclaimed timber, allowing live design modifications in response to material uncertainty.

The research addresses the variability in the mechanical properties and geometry of reclaimed timber. As a result of this integrated loop, actual structural behavior can be measured and used to inform design. This allows for smart material use and higher certainty of structural performance.

The development of two in-line testing and fabrication methods demonstrates how a robust computational workflow can be implemented both at the prefabricated module level and to enable continuous timber floor slabs in on-site construction.

Using a modular steel frame, pressure sensors, an OptiTrack sensing system, and pneumatic loading, we were able to test the prefabrication method while making design and material quantity adjustments during fabrication.

In collaboration with the Autodesk Technology Center in Boston, an alternative method for on-site assembly was also simulated and is currently undergoing testing.

Computational visualization of live optical sensing and
pressure sensor read out.

Finalized construction of prefabricated demonstrator.

Modular loading set up.