Initiated in 2014, the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Digital Fabrication aims to revolutionise architecture through the seamless combination of digital technologies and physical building processes. Over 60 researchers from six different academic disciplines collaborate to develop ground-breaking technologies for tomorrow’s construction. Their research allows Switzerland to take a leading position within the global field of digital fabrication. The NCCR Digital Fabrication is the first NCCR focused on architecture and construction funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). Initiated at ETH Zurich, it is partnered with EPF Lausanne, the Hochschule für Technik Rapperswil, the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, the Bern University of Applied Sciences and Empa.
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13.10.2025
Robots on construction sites? A threat to some, an opportunity for others. NCCR DFAB Researcher Sihui Wu from ETH Zurich is researching how technology can support people in their everyday work, and why it must not become a source of fear.
02.10.2025
The second AdvancedAEC Postdoc Event took place at the University of Stuttgart at the Large-Scale Construction Robotics Laboratory (LCRL) in Waiblingen-Hohenacker. At the same time, the IntCDC invited visitors to an Open House.
30.09.2025
For its 10th anniversary edition, Open House Zürich invited the public to explore more than 190 buildings and outdoor spaces across the city. Among them, the Arch_Tech_Lab at ETH Zurich opened its doors for guided tours and insights into pioneering research in digital fabrication.
22.09.2025
The MAS ETH DFAB participants have presented their final thesis projects, building on research from NCCR DFAB and exploring the future of digital design and fabrication.
22.09.2025
El Mehdi Belyasmine is a Moroccan architect and founder of Belyas.Co, a Marrakech based studio. This year, he co-designed the Moroccan Pavilion for the Biennale. On site, he speaks about the project and how the MAS ETH DFAB shaped his perspective on architecture.
16.09.2025
Spin-off Contouro, founded by Digital Building Technologies researchers Andrei Jipa and Angela Yoo, has unveiled an imposing walk-in sculpture that merges art, architecture and engineering in the garden of the Kunsthaus Zürich.
25.11.2025
The NCCR DFAB and Innovationspark Siwitzerland Zurich invite builders, architects, engineers, planners, contractors, and end-users to explore the potential of resource-efficient additive manufacturing processes and the associated modern data and information…
20.05.2026 - 23.05.2026
SAVE THE DATE: 20—23 May 2026 for the next Future of Construction Symposium at ETH Zurich. Sign-up for updates.
28.10.2025
Join Nora A. Escherle (SVIN) and Kaitlin McNally (NCCR Digital Fabrication) for an engaging dialogue on regeneration. This lunch webinar brings together voices from food culture, farming, urban design, and futures thinking to explore how regeneration can shape our daily practices and collective futures. Featuring insights from…
27.09.2025
On Saturday, 27 September, the Arch_Tech_Lab will open its doors to visitors as part of the Open House Zurich event. Under the motto ‘Architecture for All,’ the association organises annual tours of over 150 buildings that are not otherwise open to the public. The National Centre of Competence in Research for Digital Fabrication, in…
17.09.2025
Startup Architecture – Venture as a new mode of Ppractice: This conference explores the growing phenomenon of architects founding startups—not merely as a commercial extension of practice, but as a radical redefinition of what architecture can be. As traditional modes of practice face economic,…
25.06.2025 - 27.06.2025
Releasing over 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions and consuming over 40% of primary resources, the built environment needs an urgent transformation towards climate neutrality and circularity while hosting a booming humanity in dignified conditions under climate change. Optimising individual solutions will not be sufficient to overcome these challenges. Instead, we must adopt systems…