Democratizing Stereotomic Construction through AR Technologies: A reusable mold methodology to the production of customized voussoirs using HoloLens

Mass customizing of building components allows new conditions to explore aesthetic and sustainability in architecture. However, such possibilities tend to require the use of expensive and heavy digital fabrication machinery, which is seldomly available in most regions on the planet. In this context, this paper presents a research in progress that explores Augmented Reality (AR) to support craft production of customized stereotomic components. As a portable technology, the work examines the potential of AR to materialize design solutions that are geometrically complex and variable. Considering the current research on augmented fabrication processes, this work contributes to producing variable building components for stereotomic construction with a focus on earth-based materials. Extending the findings of a recently completed PhD thesis, the work replaces the use of a robot with the HoloLens glasses and Fologram application to produce low-cost and reusable molds. This augmented fabrication setup allows the human control of the production of variable molds, ready for casting and assembly of stereotomic components. This work addresses several of the NEB and UN SDGs goals.