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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06.03.2026
The Swiss National Bank has unveiled a new banknote series. One of the selected motifs features NEST, the modular research platform of Empa in Dübendorf. On its uppermost platform stands the DFAB HOUSE, realised by the NCCR Digital Fabrication.
26.02.2026
Yolanda Ziltener recently joined the technical RFL team – as the first woman in the technician team since the building opened in 2014. The position was advertised as part of the Women in Robotics initiative, with the explicit aim of bringing greater diversity to technical roles.
20.02.2026
Researchers from FMAA at USI and GKR at ETH Zurich have developed a method to make concrete staircases lighter, more adaptable, and significantly less carbon-intensive. The result, the "Vertebra" staircase, uses about half as much concrete and produces 32% fewer CO₂-equivalent emissions than…
19.02.2026
Russell Loveridge reflects on how digital fabrication has transformed from a fringe idea into an established field, why convergence with AI, machine learning, and human–machine collaboration marks an exciting new frontier, and what it means to bring the FoC community back to ETH Zurich.
12.02.2026
Dinorah Schulte, MAS ETH DFAB alumna, merges Mexico’s rich craftsmanship traditions with cutting-edge digital fabrication, pioneering sustainable and collaborative design through 3D printing, robotics, and material innovation.
28.01.2026
NCCR DFAB researchers at ETH Zurich are investigating the use of Wire-and-Arc Additive Manufacturing to repair complex metal façades from the late 20th century.
20.05.2026 - 23.05.2026
The 'Future of Construction' symposium explores how technology shapes the way we design and build. The accelerating convergence of technological domains in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) invites us to rethink human capability, skill, and agency. At this intersection, AI, extended reality, and robotics are transforming…
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 flows. Objectives: Share…
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…
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…
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, technological, and cultural…
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.…