This thesis investigates the design and fabrication of functionally integrated facade elements using large-scale FDM 3D printing. It frames the building envelope as a site-specific, performative system and examines how additive manufacturing can embed multiple architectural functions such as structure, shading, translucency, and assembly directly into geometry. Working across scales, from material tests to full-scale facade prototypes, the students developed a fabrication-aware computational workflow that directly links design intent to production constraints.

A central focus of the thesis is the development of functionally graded internal structures. Through volumetric modeling and minimal surface geometries, the students designed infill systems with spatially varying density, translucency, and stiffness in response to environmental inputs such as light direction and facade orientation. This approach demonstrates how additive manufacturing enables differentiated performance within a single material system and challenges conventional notions of homogeneous facade components.

The thesis further investigates non-orthogonal discretization strategies and integrated snap-fit connection systems specifically tailored to additive manufacturing. Computational methods were developed to subdivide complex facade geometries into transportable elements while embedding assembly logic and tolerances directly into the printed components. Connections and seams are treated as integral design elements, enabling fast assembly and reducing the need for secondary fixings.

The work culminated in a full-scale facade demonstrator produced through parallelized large-scale printing setups and assembled within minutes. The thesis emphasizes an end-to-end architectural workflow, from environmental analysis and computational design to fabrication optimization and physical assembly, illustrating how additive manufacturing can redefine facade design in terms of performance, constructability, and material efficiency.