Bamboo Fusion: Expanding Human–Machine Synergy by Augmented Timber-Bamboo Hybrid Structure Fabrication

–Machine Synergy through Augmented Timber–Bamboo Hybrid Fabrication
Computational technologies like robotics, AR, and machine intelligence are reshaping architecture, expanding creative possibilities and fostering new synergies between designers and automated construction. This shift reflects what Brynjolfsson and McAfee call the “augmented age,” where digital tools enhance human potential, demanding revised human-machine collaboration in creative fields. Building on earlier projects, such as MemutAR (Crolla et al., 2024), Steampunk Pavilion (Jahn et al., 2019), and Steel Fusion Pavilion (Hahm et al., 2024), which explored AR-enhanced human-machine collaboration, this research responds to the limitations and operational boundaries of AR identified in the aforementioned cases and proposes a design thinking-driven workflow for AR and robotics to better augment human capabilities between design and fabrication. The “Bamboo Fusion” workshop investigated hybrid pavilion construction, combining traditional materials with digital fabrication. It integrates timber for the primary structure and bamboo for cladding, emphasising the synergy between rigidity and flexibility, structure and skin. These materials were selected for their sustainability, low-tech processing requirements, and local availability, aligning ecological values with construction practice. The workshop aimed to refine methodologies that align design thinking with digital construction, with the primary goal of exploring how these advanced tools can redefine the design and construction of temporary structures in response to environmental imperatives and local craft traditions.