Adaptive Bamboo Joinery: Robotic-Assisted Assembly of Traditional Indonesian Roof House Typologies

Traditional bamboo construction relies on a joinery system for structural integrity. Bamboo’s heterogeneity and non-standardized nature challenge its integration in computational modelling and structural optimisation, particularly to address its natural flexibility, tensile strength, and lightweight properties for active bending applications. Integrated computational design and digital fabrication have the potential to modernise and enhance vernacular and heritage architecture. This study proposes adaptive joinery systems tailored to traditional Indonesian house typology to substitute conventional joints compatible with robotic assembly. The method integrates parametric design and structural optimisation for the proposed fabricable elements and joint design prototype. Key joint design criteria include mechanisms, adjustability, and angular systems. The findings highlight the feasibility of digitally fabricated joint systems in robotic assembly scenarios as an alternative to traditional craftsmanship in robotic and digital fabrication. The research provides insight into the suitability and compatibility of bamboo joint techniques for robotic assembly, bridging the gap between heritage architecture and technologies and offering solutions for contemporary bamboo architecture.