The Department of Architecture at Chung Yuan Christian University has established the AI Digital Fabrication Laboratory to advance digital and intelligent transformation in architecture. Integrating design, structure, and technology, the lab enables students to apply and test design logic through hands-on practice, embodying CYCU’s philosophy of balancing theory and practice while bridging education and industry through digital innovation.
Department Chair Chen Yu-Chin of CYCU Architecture stated that the architecture industry’s growing reliance on digital software and fabrication hardware has made them indispensable in both design and construction processes. Digital technology now permeates every stage of architectural production—enhancing design precision and communication efficiency, while enabling the realization of complex forms, non-standard components, and customized constructions. In response, CYCU’s Department of Architecture has identified digital technology as a core competency, systematically integrating it into courses, facilities, and equipment—leading to the establishment of the Parametric Design and Digital Fabrication Workshop.
The initiative led and coordinated by Department Chair Chen Yu-Chin was made possible through generous support from distinguished alumni including Mr. Weng Tzu-Chieh, CEO of Chao Yang Architecture, Architect Chen Chang-An, and Mr. Huang Hsiang-Min, CEO of Rong Jin Construction. With their contributions of funding and resources, the department together with its alumni transformed the former E-Design Laboratory into a new workspace that integrates parametric design and digital fabrication. The lab is equipped with a high-load, precision collaborative robotic arm, allowing students to gain hands-on experience and enhance their learning outcomes.
Since 2020, Professors Hung-Ming Chen and Chang-Chih Hsu have led the Digital Design and Construction Group for fourth-year students, guiding them in applying parametric software for environmental observation, human behavior analysis, form generation, and structural optimization. Leveraging the precision and modularity of digital fabrication, students develop diverse techniques such as 3D printing with clay and concrete, vacuum forming and casting, robotic wood carving, composite panel processing, and reinforcement methods. Each course culminates in a 1:1 human-scale construction project, enabling students to experience the complete architectural process from design to fabrication in a condensed and immersive learning environment.
Professor Chen Yu-Chin noted that under CYCU’s integrated bachelor–master program, interested students may extend their studies through fifth-year thesis projects and graduate research. In recent years, the department has nurtured numerous graduates with expertise in parametric design and digital fabrication, many of whom have advanced to professional roles in both design and construction sectors, or pursued further studies at top international universities such as ETH Zurich, Technical University of Munich, University of Stuttgart, and University of Southern California. These achievements highlight CYCU Architecture’s growing strength and potential in cultivating talent that meets both global trends and industry demands.
Hsieh Meng-Ju, currently specializing in digital fabrication at the Technical University of Munich, shared that his experience in CYCU’s Digital Design and Fabrication Laboratory extended far beyond software operation. It awakened his understanding of the integration between design logic and fabrication thinking, allowing him to perceive the evolving role of architects in the information age. “Design is not merely about form,” he said. “It is a system driven by data, comprehensible to machines, and capable of automated realization.” He described his studies at CYCU as the moment he realized that digital design is not the future—it is the present.
To honor the generosity of its alumni, the Department of Architecture named the new facility the Chao-Yang Laboratory, symbolizing a major milestone in CYCU’s journey toward digital transformation and interdisciplinary innovation. By incorporating tools such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), parametric design, digital fabrication, and AI-assisted design, the laboratory not only cultivates students’ cross-disciplinary integration abilities but also empowers faculty to explore new methodologies in both teaching and research.
CYCU stated that the Chao-Yang Laboratory will continue to integrate the expertise of departments such as Architecture, Design, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, and Electrical Engineering, establishing an interdisciplinary platform that advances intelligent manufacturing, sustainable design, and AI applications. The initiative aims to strengthen students’ practical and innovative capabilities, foster cross-departmental academic collaboration, and respond to the rapid transformation of higher education and industry with a forward-looking educational vision and technological competence.
