The Structural Xploration Lab, founded in July 2016, is headed by Corentin Fivet, assistant professor of architecture and structural design at the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). The laboratory is attached to the Faculty of Natural, Architectural and Built Environment (ENAC), integrated into the Institute of Architecture (IA), with close links to the Institute of Civil Engineering (IIC). It is active in the teaching of structures and constructive systems for architects (SAR).
Structural Xploration Lab research aims to improve the way architects and civil engineers work together to design load-bearing systems for buildings. Driven by the urgent need for greater sustainability, we explore new approaches, develop innovative decision-support tools and test alternative construction techniques.
Our recent activities focus on the design of load-bearing structures made from reused and/or reusable components. We are pioneering academic research into circular construction, with the hope that it will become the norm in the construction sector. We identify, develop and evaluate new circular opportunities in architectural design; we design algorithms to guide the design of structures that minimize their environmental impact through reuse; we develop indicators to assess the reuse potential of buildings.