Escuela de Politécnica Superior

Digital fabrication technologies can be powerful tools for architectural representation, assisting during the fabrication of physical models and prototypes useful in architectural design. The use of these technologies can contribute to complement conventional architectural drawings by allowing the creation of physical models, prototypes and architectural models of constructive details or structural elements, to be used as visualization and communication tools to explore different solutions during the design phase. Therefore, it seems appropriate to reflect and work towards a better integration between the latest digital fabrication technologies and architectural graphic tools to assist the architect. This paper will try to deepen on the applications of digital fabrication in the field of Architecture, based on the projects carried out in Fab Lab Madrid CEU, the Digital Fabrication Laboratory based at CEU University, reflecting about the potential of milling machines, laser cutters, 3D printers and molding and casting technologies to materialize ideas and projects.

This paper is a proposal to revisit some of the many opinions of our masters on learning in order to reconsider our present time. Tertiary education, is being convulsed by numerous changes –in academic programs, contents, a strong emergence of bilingualism, etc.􀂱, immersed within a proliferation of resources 􀂱communication, information access and even our own technology in the field of graphic design􀂱 has caused a very obvious decrease in the numbers of students in architecture. As we face other new coming challenges and it will be of great help to look back and recover the experience of our own learning to put it at the service of the future architects.