Article:

Situated within the art of cutting solids (stereotomy) and the evolution of machinetools; this research will investigate subtractive fabrication in relation to roboticcarving of stone structures. The advancement of the industrial revolutions in themid to late 19th century saw the rise of new building techniques and materialswhich were primarily based on structural steel construction. The modernaesthetic of the time further diminished the place of traditional stonework andornamentation in modern structures within the building arts. This paper willfocus on the design and fabrication of three sculptural dry-stone modularprototypes investigating interlocking self-supporting structures in stone.Examining the value of robotic technologies in the design and constructionprocess in relation to collaborative crafting of the hand and machine.Accommodating for material tolerances which are a major factor in this research.Interrogating the value of robotic crafting with material implications andexploring the role of the artisan in machine crafted architectural components.