SDU researchers exhibit at Milan Design Week
Milan Design Week, held from 20 to 26 April, is usually a platform for architects and designers to showcase their latest work. This year, however, a team of researchers from the Faculty of Engineering at University of Southern Denmark is also taking part.
Today, wood as a building material often follows a short life cycle. It is harvested, processed, and used in buildings until those buildings are renovated or demolished, after which the material is frequently discarded or burned.
Researchers from SDU CREATE aim to change this model. Through computational methods, digital fabrication and robotic technologies, they are developing new ways for timber to be disassembled, reconfigured, and reused across multiple life cycles.
At the Milan Design Week, SDU CREATE is presenting the exhibition RE:PROGRAMMING WOOD.
Through a curated exhibition of projects developed over recent years, RE:PROGRAMMING WOOD demonstrates how wood can be treated not as a disposable material, but as a resource that retains value over time.
The exhibition presents a range of research initiatives in which digital tools and robotics are used to rethink timber production and reuse. These include new assembly systems for wooden elements, structural applications for smaller and non uniform timber pieces, and the development of composite materials made from sawdust and wood fibres.
SDU CREATE is the university’s research centre for computational research in emergent architectural technology and engineering. The exhibition will be shown from 20 to 26 April at Dropcity, a centre for experimental architecture and design in Milan, where it is expected to attract more than 15,000 visitors.
Milan Design Week is one of the world’s largest and most influential design events, bringing together companies, designers, architects, and cultural institutions from around the world to present new ideas, products, and exhibitions.
The team behind RE:PROGRAMMING WOOD consists of Roberto Naboni, Anja Kunic, Davide Angeletti, and Alessandro Barra, presenting prototypes and research developed over the years with many collaborators. The exhibition has been developed in collaboration with Zarcola Architetti and Dropcity.