IN PROGRESS

Lab2PT Projects – Research & Development

 

DIGI MATTERS Project

The Landscape, Heritage and Territory Laboratory (Lab2PT) and the School of Architecture, Art and Design of the University of Minho (EAAD) are participating in the European project DIGI MATTERS: Digital Design and Robotic Fabrication Education Matters for the EU Built Environment, dedicated to innovation in teaching digital design, robotic fabrication and sustainable construction.

 

Funded by the Erasmus+ program, under Key Action 2: Cooperation Partnerships in Higher Education (KA220-HED), the project will take place between September 1, 2026 and August 31, 2029, with a total funding of €400,000. This type of project promotes transnational cooperation between higher education institutions, supporting the joint development of pedagogical methodologies, educational resources and innovative practices.

 

Coordinated by the Politecnico di Milano (Italy), the consortium includes the University of Minho (Portugal), the Technische Universität Darmstadt (Germany), the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Spain), the Gebze Technical University (Turkey), and the École nationale des ponts et chaussées (France).

 

DIGI MATTERS addresses the challenges of the digital and ecological transition in the architecture, engineering, and construction sector. Its objective is to develop skills that articulate computational design, AI-assisted optimization, robotic manufacturing, and circularity-oriented construction processes.

The project also has a network of associated partners: Vertico, MX3D, Erratic, MetalWorm, Blufab (Casais Group), Saint-Gobain, and NADA NOVO. Collaboration with these partners brings teaching and research closer to professional practice, articulating conception, material experimentation, and production in training, prototyping, and dissemination activities that prepare students and professionals for more sustainable construction practices.

Activities include three international digital fabrication workshops, the development of massive open online courses (MOOCs) and open-access educational resources, meetings with companies and professionals, dissemination events, and publications, including an open-access book.

The University of Minho team includes Bruno Figueiredo, Paulo J. S. Cruz, and Filipe Brandão, bringing together expertise in computational design, structural systems, construction technologies, additive manufacturing and robotics, and the integration of industrialized construction processes. Participation takes place within the context of the ACTech Hub — Architecture, Construction and Technology Hub, of EAAD and Lab2PT, supported by the experimentation and fabrication infrastructures of ARENA — Advanced Design & Technology Laboratory.

 

UMinho coordinates WP5, dedicated to the design and prototyping of a pavilion and the dissemination of knowledge (WP5). The project reinforces the internationalization of Lab2PT and EAAD, creating opportunities for collaboration between professors, researchers, students, and industrial partners, and consolidating the link between research, teaching, and experimentation in the digital and sustainable transformation of the built environment.

 

More Information: HERE