When I started searching for companies, that combine the use of 3D CNC router to fabricate innovative shapes and forms, I came across an architectural workshop Objectile, based in Paris.
http://www.archilab.org/public/1999/artistes/obje01en.htm# Objectile combines engineering, maths and technology to manufacture curves and variable forms. They use their own in house software called topCAD and then feed the information to numerical-controlled machines.
Here are some examples of their work, that have not been designed, but rather calculated by computer and industrially produced by digital machinery.
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| CNC panel fabricated by Objectile |
The founders of Objectile, Bernard Cache and Patrick Beauce are convienced that architectural creation now starts at the stage of software and technological tools.
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| An object showing the machine tracks |
In those examples above, we can see that Objectile has developed a process, that treats the external surface of the shapes, by giving then a unique machined facades. Perhaps they have not gone beyond the manipulations of the shell, to investigate even larger impact of the software - hardware corelation in architectural structure.
Another good example of using the digital milling technique is this cabinet designed by Skylar Tibbits.
http://sjet.wordpress.com/2009/03/03/path-responsive-update/
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| Digital milling by S. Tibbits |
Here, much of the decision making was done by the machine, and the individual curvatures were calculated by the softwear. Below is a path responsive suface milling, which has been manufactured in such a way, that each point along any isocurve is assigned with a distinc z depth.
http://sjet.wordpress.com/2008/07/08/path-responsive-surface-milling_02/
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| Path responsive surface milling by Tibbits |
These are of course secondary components and play merely a decorative role, yet, these units are illustrating a technical feasability, that opens doors for further exploitations.
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