Bistable Hybrid Textile Structures: Combining Knitting and 3D Printing Fabrication Methods for Adaptive Building Skin Applications

Building skins are one of the significant architectural elements that can enhance environmental performance by adapting to environmental conditions and altering shape configuration to optimize performance and functionality. Building skin as an exterior additional layer of the building facade can control daylight emissions to reduce energy use for heating and cooling. Textiles present a great opportunity to design shape-morphing lightweight structures that are constructed with traditional and digital fabrication techniques. The primary method used is 3D printing onto an industrially knitted textile as a feature within a larger surface to create a responsive and self forming building skin. This research explores the limitations and capabilities of textile behaviour and follows a material centred design approach during the fabrication and design process. This research methodology starts with small scale prototyping then evolves with the construction of a full-size building skin unit. This nonlinear study model consists of prototyping, fabricating, experimenting, simulating, and designing. This research enables the fabrication of 3D printed bistable textiles and transitions from garment scale to architectural scale applications, addressing limitations posed by conventional FDM printer sizes. The parameter charts and textile behaviour classifications standardize methods and parameters for both small and large scale production, enabling repeatable workflows and the development of potentially energy efficient bistable textile materials capable of switching between open and closed states. It should be noted that energy use analysis is not part of the study, however, this research includes daylight emissions studies of bistable material’s state changes in window shading area. Inspired by the natural movement of plants like the Morning Glory Flower and Shamrock, this research introduces novel assembly strategies for architectural applications such as an external layer of building skin performs as a shading system. Key contributions include a material-centred approach focusing on textile material, scalable fabrication workflows, nature inspired design systems, and a manual actuation system for responsive building skins, offering potentially sustainable, responsive shading solutions for future architectural applications.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Environmental Design

Grantor

Environmental Design

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Evrim, Berfin

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Wylant, Barry

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Gardner, Guy Erik
• Davis, Felecia

• Adaptability
• 3D Printing
• Knitting
• Smart Textile
• Building Envelope
• Self-formable
• Simulation
• Responsive Architecture
• Kinetic Architecture

Statement dc:rights

• Unless otherwise indicated, this material is protected by copyright and has been made available with authorization from the copyright owner. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.

Language dc:language.iso

en

DOI

https://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/50280

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ucalgary.scholaris.ca:1880/122687