The research presented in this paper focusses on the concept of “Di-terial” which aims to merge digital design and fabrication technology with natural materials such as bamboo poles and raw timber. It proposes a digital workflow that uses sensing techniques to gain individual material information of natural, unprocessed construction resources and identify their individual strengths and characteristics and therefore its potential in load-carrying structures. This information is then used to develop bespoke designs and fabrication concepts, bridging the gap between unprocessed material and automated fabrication setups. Two case studies, developed to prove this concept, are described and compared. Both cases focused on the development of spatial structures using node-bar combinations of local resources.
