NCCR DFAB Director Philippe Block honoured by RSA

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Exploring the Load-Bearing Capacity of 3D Printed Concrete

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NCCR DFAB Alumnus Driving Digital Fabrication in Canada

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Spin-Off Contouro: From Digital Design to Buildable Reality

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About

Introduction

Initiated in 2014, the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Digital Fabrication aims to revolutionise architecture through the seamless combination of digital technologies and physical building processes. Over 60 researchers from six different academic disciplines collaborate to develop ground-breaking technologies for tomorrow’s construction. Their research allows Switzerland to take a leading position within the global field of digital fabrication. The NCCR Digital Fabrication is the first NCCR focused on architecture and construction funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). Initiated at ETH Zurich, it is partnered with EPF Lausanne, the Hochschule für Technik Rapperswil, the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, the Bern University of Applied Sciences and Empa.

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News

Lucia Testing

15.12.2025

Exploring the Load-Bearing Capacity of 3D Printed Concrete

Lucia Licciardello is investigating how 3D printed concrete can evolve from a material used mainly for non-structural elements into a reliable load-bearing option. Through two testing methods she aims to clarify its structural potential and support the development of future design rules.

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Zardoz Nicole Davidson ETH Zürich

08.12.2025

Spin-Off Contouro: From Digital Design to Buildable Reality

Spin-off Contouro is redefining the intersection of architecture, art, and engineering. Building on over a decade of research in digital fabrication, Contouro transforms complex computational designs into real-world structures, from monumental sculptures to innovative architectural elements.

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Ena

01.12.2025

Ena Lloret-Fritschi Leads Newly Established Institute at USI

Ena Lloret-Fritschi is Director of the newly established Institute for Sustainable Architecture and Technology at USI. The Institute promotes research and innovation in architecture by integrating heritage conservation and adaptive reuse, structural design and engineering, digital technology and…

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Events

Fo C26 Landscape

20.05.2026 - 23.05.2026

Future of Construction 2026

The 'Future of Construction' symposium explores how technology shapes the way we design and build. The accelerating convergence of technological domains in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) invites us to rethink human capability, skill, and agency. At this intersection, AI, extended reality, and robotics…

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1762774863037

25.11.2025

Workshop: Innovative Construction and Planning Processes for Practice

The NCCR DFAB and Innovationspark Siwitzerland Zurich invite builders, architects, engineers, planners, contractors, and end-users to explore the potential of resource-efficient additive manufacturing processes and the associated modern data and information flows. Objectives: Share knowledge and insightsPromote exchange and collaborationIdentify…

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SVIN Dialogue speakers

28.10.2025

Beyond Sustainability: A Dialogue on Regeneration

Join Nora A. Escherle (SVIN) and Kaitlin McNally (NCCR Digital Fabrication) for an engaging dialogue on regeneration. This lunch webinar brings together voices from food culture, farming, urban design, and futures thinking to explore how regeneration can shape our daily practices and collective futures. Featuring insights from Rebecca Clopath (nature chef, organic…

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Open House

27.09.2025

Open House Zurich

On Saturday, 27 September, the Arch_Tech_Lab will open its doors to visitors as part of the Open House Zurich event. Under the motto ‘Architecture for All,’ the association organises annual tours of over 150 buildings that are not otherwise open to the public. The National Centre of Competence in Research for Digital Fabrication, in collaboration with the Institute of…

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Startup Architecture Poster A3

17.09.2025

Symposium Startup Architecture at ITA

Startup Architecture – Venture as a new mode of Ppractice: This conference explores the growing phenomenon of architects founding startups—not merely as a commercial extension of practice, but as a radical redefinition of what architecture can be. As traditional modes of practice face economic, technological, and cultural pressures, a…

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Image imageformat 1286 340892765

25.06.2025 - 27.06.2025

Sustainable Built Environment Conference (SBE25)

Releasing over 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions and consuming over 40% of primary resources, the built environment needs an urgent transformation towards climate neutrality and circularity while hosting a booming humanity in dignified conditions under climate change. Optimising individual solutions…

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