Parametric software workflow for generating production-ready 3D-printed staircase formwork.
Scawo3D and Skeno had the fabrication method and the ambition, but each bespoke staircase still required a robust way to create and edit geometry.
We reduced design time by 95% by building a design tool that enables the designer to provide all input parameters as 2D geometry. The software then builds a full print-ready 3D model with all details.
Scawo3D and Skeno can print stay-in-place formwork for staircases. This enables almost any staircase shape while keeping both fabrication time and site work to a minimum. The formwork is placed on site and filled with in-situ concrete. However, it is difficult to model such complex geometries by hand, and even harder to ensure that the output mesh is watertight. It is almost impossible to avoid tolerance errors.
We built a parametric design tool with an intuitive UX and UI that takes the user through each step of the design process. The user inputs site constraints in 3D and can then draw stair profiles, step shapes, etc., in 2D. After converting these 2D shapes into a mesh, we use implicit modelling to generate shapes that can reduce weight, and voxel-based modelling methods to generate robust final geometry. The tool is Rhino- and Grasshopper-based, which makes it easy for Scawo3D and Skeno to make minor edits themselves.
