109°

Our adaptive reuse of a 1940s building for the 180 Degrees Design Build offices in central Phoenix included the addition of a signature cast-in-place concrete entry feature wall that identifies the entrance to the building. While the design of the feature wall not only references our original company graphics, it also serves to illustrate our team’s combined ability in the technical exploration of digital fabrication while also illustrating the highest level of craftsmanship that our construction team brings to every project. As with all exterior concrete, the wall is expected to patina as it ages, with this process being in direct contrast with the exacting precision of the detailing.

The design developed through a digital-to-physical workflow where parametric design tools were utilized to transfer unique geometries from the digital realm into the physical through the fabrication of CNC-milled form liners. Our iterative approach to research and development refined our form liner fabrication process to reduce finishing labor costs, optimized material selection to reduce waste, and minimized assembly labor, which resulted in improved fabrication efficiency.

By applying parametric design principles to cast-in-place concrete, this project serves as a proof of concept for mass-customized, digitally fabricated formwork, setting a precedent for future applications in architectural, infrastructural, and commercial concrete design.