Abstract: Material Swarm Articulations is an experiment in developing a multi-objective optimization system that incorporates bottom up approaches for informing architectural design. The paper presents an initial built project that demonstrates the combination of a structural form finding method, with an agent based design system through the digital fabrication processes. The objective of this research is to develop a workflow combined with material and construction constraints that has the potential to increase performance objectives while enabling geometric complexity and design driven articulation of a traditional tectonic system. The emphasis of the research at this stage is to take advantage of material properties and assembly methods applied to a digital design and simulation workflow that enables emergent patterns to influence the performance of the space. The paper illustrates the research through a prototype of a self-standing canopy structure in 1:1 scale. It presents results of the form finding, generative patterning, digital fabrication affordances and sets and agenda for next steps in the use of multi-agent systems for design purposes.

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