Master of Architecture / Department of Architecture / Matthew Knox / The purpose of this study is to examine how the industrial process of rapid prototyping might reshape practice and making in architecture. Rapid prototyping is defined as an accelerated, adaptive evolution of a system or its components in some form using computer-aided drafting and manufacturing. Historically, all architecture was the intelligence of a single maker—the master builder. Specialization has caused architecture to fragment with architects serving only as designers. This report explores the ability of computer-aided drafting and manufacturing technologies to streamline the design procedure, which potentially increases the architect’s input into the process of building. Effectually, the architect narrows the distance between the design and the built—returning the architect to the role of master builder. An actual design exercise will examine the connection of architectural practice to making. To apply this research a habitable space was constructed through the incorporation of rapid prototyping.

There is a continuous need within most manufacturing environments for more flexible production equipment, particularly where customer satisfaction and responsiveness promote quality improvement. In this paper, an automated agile manufacturing system that uses high-speed computer numerically controlled (CNC) machines to make automotive cylinder heads is proposed and evaluated by means of discrete event simulation using the ARENA simulator. Two alternative agile system configurations are constructed and simulated to achieve the production target. The simulation shows some significant benefits in using the agile system and demonstrates that high-speed CNC equipment is a viable option for cylinder head manufacture at a production volume of 550 000 units per annum. It is shown that the agile system can provide more flexibility and half the throughput time of the transfer line.