ABOUT

Held for the fifth time in 2024, FABRICATE is an international peer-reviewed conference with supporting publication on the theme of constructing architecture. Discussing the progressive integration of digital design with manufacturing processes, and its impact on constructed environments in the 21st century, FABRICATE brings together pioneers in design and making within architecture, engineering, manufacturing, material science, and computation.


Founded in 2011, the triennial event has explored themes that include: how digital fabrication technologies are enabling new creative and construction opportunities from component to building scales, the difficult gap that exists between digital modelling and its realisation, material performance and manipulation, off-site and on-site construction, interdisciplinary education, economic and sustainable contexts, circularity and repurposing.

Our domain FABRICATE.org is growing as the industry landmark resource for innovations in large scale digital fabrication. A place where makers showcase their work through stunning stories, presented in-depth, focusing both on process and results. Using new formats, seamlessly blending video, text, high resolution imagery and interactive infographics, the stories will present an ongoing visual overview of the status of the works, the achievements, lessons learnt, next steps and more.


FABRICATE’s relationship with practice and academia is fundamental. The platform offers ongoing exposure and publicity, while encouraging new authors to submit work for each subsequent conference whilst building long lasting partnerships with sponsors and patrons. Our next venture will be announced in due course, meanwhile please delve into the 160 projects captured so far through our five books that are free to download, and do get in touch with us if you are interested in becoming a part of this space.

FABRICATE 2011

LONDON

375

Attendees

220

Project submissions

37

Countries

FABRICATE 2014

ZURICH

250

Attendees

140

Project submissions

35

Countries

FABRICATE 2017

STUTTGART

520

Attendees

250

Project submissions

45

Countries

FABRICATE 2020

ONLINE

8000

Viewers

230

Project submissions

100

Countries

FABRICATE 2024

COPENHAGEN

380

Attendees

250

Project submissions

30

Countries

PUBLICATIONS

332000

DOWNLOADS TO DATE

5

PUBLICATIONS

160

FEATURED PROJECTS IN TOTAL

20

INTERVIEWS WITH INDUSTRY EXPERTS

The stunning hardcover book comprises 32 illustrated articles on built projects and works-in-progress received from both academia and practice via a Call for Work. Punctuating these articles are a series of conversations between the conference Keynotes and world-leading experts. A complimentary copy is given to all conference attendees as part of their conference packs. Both English editions and the Chinese version of the 2011 book were sold out. All five editions (2011, 2014, 2017, 2020 and 2024) have been released as e-books with over 332,000 downloads to date from 186 countries (November 2024).

 

Contributions include work from leading practices such as Foster + Partners, Zaha Hadid Architects, AKT, Jean Nouvel Architects, Arup, BuroHappold, Amanda Levete Architects, Bollinger+Grohmann, DShape, Ron Arad and Autodesk and world-renowned institutions including ICD Stuttgart, The Bartlett UCL, Delft, Harvard, Yale, University of Michigan, MIT, CITA, IaaC, UCL, ETH, University Innsbruck, Princeton University and the Architectural Association. UCL Press presents the FABRICATE 2024 publication in cooperation with Riverside Architectural Press.

WHO WE ARE

BS

Bob Sheil

FABRICATE co-Founder | Professor at the Bartlett School of Architecture
MS_2020

Marilena Skavara

FABRICATE co-Founder | Director at Codica Ltd.
Mette bw

Mette Ramsgaard Thomsen

FABRICATE 2024 co-Chair | Director at Royal Danish Academy, Copenhagen
Phil bw

Phil Ayres

FABRICATE 2024 co-Chair | Professor at Royal Danish Academy, Copenhagen
RG

Ruairi Glynn

FABRICATE co-Founder | Course Director M.Arch Design for Performance & Interaction @bartlettUCL | Director @ialab
Jenny_Sabin2

Jenny Sabin

FABRICATE 2020 co-Chair | Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Architecture, College of Architecture, Art, and Planning at Cornell University
jane_burry

Jane Burry

FABRICATE 2020 co-Chair | Dean in the School of Design, Swinburne University, Melbourne
Menges

Achim Menges

FABRICATE 2017 co-Chair | Director of the Institute for Computational Design and Construction, University of Stuttgart
matthias_kohler

Matthias Kohler

FABRICATE 2014 co-Chair | Gramazio & Kohler Research, ETH Zurich
Gramazio

Fabio Gramazio

FABRICATE 2014 co-Chair | Gramazio & Kohler Research, ETH Zurich
philip_beesley2

Philip Beesley

FABRICATE co-Publisher | Professor, School of Architecture, University of Waterloo