Parametric Library for Designers, Makers and Architects

Award winning Future Joinery Systems (Building Design magazines "Industry part of the year") are a digital fabrication enabler, helping designers and makers access the digital fabrication services of other machinists through the exchange of agnostic fabrication data.

FJS have built and deployed a configurator platform, allowing users to access highly configurable parametric BIM objects directly from within a CAD environment. Dynamic cost feedback and BOM information is provided as projects are configured, and users are able to push designs straight from screen to machine for digital fabrication. The platform is intended to serve architects, designers, joiners and furniture makers; allowing them to become more efficient, more expedient and reduce their risk in the delivery of bespoke joinery, while providing regular and efficient projects to a network of independent machinists.

This project focuses on the creative growth of the platform. The key objective is to build new content, services and user features as a stimulus to grow the user base of the platform.

Digital fabrication technologies are available in the sector, but logistical, skills-based and cost barriers mean they are not effectively deployed across the huge base of smaller businesses that make up the bulk of the industry. This proposal seeks to erode these barriers by providing new tools to easily configure DfMA (Design for Manufacturing and Assembly) ready parametric designs. The platform provides the first "push button" manufacturing platform for the construction and joinery sectors. A growing maker network ensures resilient procurement options, and allows users to access a distributed manufacturing network to ensure parts can be manufactured locally to any project location.

As an enabling project, the positive benefits of digital fabrication and Modern Methods of Construction are multiplied across the creative maker sector; unlocking new revenue streams, tackling the growing labour shortage, initiating Local Economic Multipliers, increasing supply chain resilience and reducing environmental impact.