{"id":3794,"date":"2025-07-15T12:41:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-15T16:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/research.gsd.harvard.edu\/maps\/?p=3794"},"modified":"2025-07-07T12:47:17","modified_gmt":"2025-07-07T16:47:17","slug":"biocomposites-computational-framework","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/research.gsd.harvard.edu\/maps\/2025\/07\/15\/biocomposites-computational-framework\/","title":{"rendered":"Biocomposites: Computational Framework"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/research.gsd.harvard.edu\/maps\/research\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"2\">Research<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Directional Biocomposites: Computational Framework<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69faf882a56d6&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/research.gsd.harvard.edu\/maps\/files\/2025\/07\/Tish_12-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3796\" srcset=\"https:\/\/research.gsd.harvard.edu\/maps\/files\/2025\/07\/Tish_12-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/research.gsd.harvard.edu\/maps\/files\/2025\/07\/Tish_12-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/research.gsd.harvard.edu\/maps\/files\/2025\/07\/Tish_12-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/research.gsd.harvard.edu\/maps\/files\/2025\/07\/Tish_12-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/research.gsd.harvard.edu\/maps\/files\/2025\/07\/Tish_12-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Our 2024 ACADIA Vanguard Award Paper presented a multi-scalar design approach to recognize the regional and seasonal availability of biocomposites. Using topology optimization, we were able to customize the shape of components such as a stool or a structural ceiling slab. The process is geared towards utilizing the <a href=\"https:\/\/research.gsd.harvard.edu\/maps\/2025\/07\/07\/biocomposites-directional-properties\/\">directional mechanical properties<\/a> of various biocomposites in ways as to minimize the self-weight (and with it the environmental impact) of designs. This &#8216;digital vernacular&#8217; approach thus establishes a computational linkage between a time-based material geography and the configuration of designs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"10200\" height=\"6600\" src=\"https:\/\/research.gsd.harvard.edu\/maps\/files\/2025\/07\/Tish_11.jpg\" alt=\"Stool designs using topology optimization\" class=\"wp-image-3797\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>During the 3D printing process part orientation will be such as to balance wet print stability with optimized alignment of the principal stresses with the natural fibers that make up the majority of the biomaterial. The image above shows the variations for a selected set of materials &#8211; more information is available in the paper:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tish, D., Gan, A., Cabral, S., and Bechthold, M. 2024. \u201cToward a Digital Vernacular: Framework for Localized Biocomposite 3D-Printing with Natural Fibers.\u201d&nbsp;<em>Proceedings, ACADIA 2024<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino;font-size: 16px\">Team<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dan Tish, Lecturer, Harvard GSD<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Amelia Wen Jiun Gan, MDes Mediums \u201823, Harvard GSD, Irving Fellow &#8217;24<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sophia Cabral, MDes Mediums \u201925, Harvard GSD<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Martin Bechthold, MaP+S Director, Prof. Academic Dean Harvard GSD<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Funding: Industry Advisors of the Laboratory for Design Technologies, Advanced Composites<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Using topology optimization, we can customize the design of components to integrate the directional properties of 3D printed biomaterials.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":3795,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[41],"class_list":["post-3794","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-portfolio","tag-biomaterials"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.7 - 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