Article:

During the last decade, mass customization in developing countries has beenrising. The combination of conventional methods and materials with computernumeric control technologies offers a possibility of merging establishedcraftsmanship to the production of personalized components with massproduction efficiency. This article aims to present the development of a facadecomponent prototype as a means to prospect possibilities for mixing parametricdesign and digital fabrication to casting, especially in developing countries likeBrazil. This is an applied research with an exploratory and constructiveapproach, which was a result of a graduate class structured on a research bydesign basis. The conceptual development and prototyping of the artifactfollowed iterative cycles, considering its performance, fabrication methods andfeasibility. The selection of materials that are commonly used in Brazilianarchitecture, like concrete, facilitates the component adoption as as a facadesolution. The main conclusion emphasizes the need of involvement betweenacademia and industry for the development of innovative products and processes,and highlights different levels of mass customization to include a range ofmanufacturing agents, from major industries to local craftspeople.