For OFF/CUT, we center Catalyst 2025 around the use of off-cuts. Off-cut is something that is cut off, a commonly used term for waste lumber.

By incorporating parametric modeling, optimization, and other computational techniques, along with MR-assisted (Mixed Reality) fabrication, students will explore how secondary lumber (off-cuts) can be adapted to design and build lightweight structural geometries. This challenges the assumption that precision and uniformity are essential for this type of design and construction. The hands-on, iterative process blends digital precision with tactile craftsmanship, offering new possibilities for architectural aesthetics through material reuse and carbon-conscious building practices.

Supported by the School of Architecture and Digital Design Center grant, OFF/CUT tests a mixed reality-assisted design process aimed at reducing embodied carbon by utilizing lightweight structural geometries. This approach focuses on minimizing material usage and reusing imperfect wood from waste streams.

• Malini Srivastava & Chango Cummings