Developing digi-mechanical formwork for construction in environments of displacement

This paper details the development of (semi-automated) digi-mechanical formwork to be used for constructing "emergency urbanism" in environments of population displacement. Through a combination of advancements in CAM technologies, continuous developments in remote power sources, and the ubiquitous reach of telecommunications networks, design professionals in the near future will have the capacity to transmit construction aid-in the form of deployable buildingmaking machinery-to refugee populations in dire need of the physical, economic, and cultural benefits of architecture. This project has evolved from a series of linked/hinged casting plates manipulated by hand-cranks or drills, into a mechanized casting "textile" of linked formwork cartridges driven by hi-torque motors, controlled through a cell phone app.