The team of Matias del Campo (Eliel Saarinen Visiting Professor), Adam Fure (Assistant Professor of Architecture), and Wes McGee (Assistant Professor of Architecture) were recently recognized by the Digital Architecture Design Association (DADA) for winning best paper at the DADA2013 conference. Sandra Manninger (SPAN architecture & design) and A. Flexer were also part of the team who submitted the award-winning paper titled, "Autonomous Tectonics - a research into emergent robotic construction methods".

The paper presented the results of explorations in autonomous robotic construction methods executed at the University of Michigan's Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning as part of a graduate options studio, Apophenic Ecologies, conducted in the fall semester 2012 by Matias del Campo and Adam Fure.

A portion of the paper abstract reads:
The proof of concept models were fabricated using a 7-axis industrial robot outfitted with a thermoplastic deposition system. The thesis behind the project proclaims the exploration of tectonic systems void of indexical form systems. In contrast to systems such as concrete casting, vacuum forming, or roto-molding, which utilize a formwork in order to give a system a specific shape, autonomous tectonics rely on a set of rules that trigger a behavior in the robotic system in order to erect spatial figurations. In this respect the system is capable of creating emergent behaviors within a system of material aggregation. The long-term goal of this form of exploration includes a higher responsiveness of autonomous tectonics towards environmental pressures such as solar radiation, wind pressures and other ecological stresses. As for now, the one main forming force in the test models is gravity.

The students involved in the project/paper were Justin Tingue (M.Arch.’13, Andrew Wolking (B.S.’09, M.Arch.’13), David M de Céspedes (M.Arch.’14), and Zuliang Guo (M.Arch.’13). All the submitted papers were peer-reviewed.

Researchers and practitioners were invited to submit their original works related to digital design under the DADA 2013 theme of "Digital Infiltration." Digital Architecture Design Association (DADA) is an official organization under the Architect Association of the Architectural Society of China. DADA2013 took place September 28~29, 2013 and was hosted by Tsinghua University School of architecture in Beijing, China. Tsinghua University. Tsinghua School of Architecture ranked no. 1 among China's schools of architecture both times the rankings were conducted.