How topology optimization and additive manufacturing can create a new generation of green steel construction
Dr. Vittoria Laghi – University of Bologna
Vittoria Laghi, Assistant Professor in Structural Design at the University of Bologna and former Lecturer at MIT, is exploring how additive manufacturing might reshape the future of steel construction.
Her research focuses on integrating computational design, structural engineering, and robotic metal printing to develop more efficient, fabrication-aware structures.
In a previous interview, we spoke with Luca Breseghello of DTU about his work on Stress Based Design of 3D Printed Concrete. Here, the focus shifts to metal—an equally challenging but promising material for digital fabrication at architectural scale.
In this interview, Vittoria discusses the interdisciplinary demands of printing structural steel, the lessons learned from working with MX3D, the development of her Grasshopper plugin Lattic3, and the kinds of collaborators she hopes to meet at CDFAM Amsterdam 2025.
Can you start by introducing yourself and your research focus, and give us an overview of what you’ll be presenting at CDFAM Amsterdam?
I am Vittoria Laghi, Assistant Professor in Structural Design at University of Bologna, Italy and formerly Lecturer at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA.
My research has been focused on finding new ways to revolutionize steel structures through digital design and fabrication.
Specifically, I am developing new design solutions to reduce the environmental impact of steel structures with the use of large-scale additive manufacturing techniques.
Your work combines computational design, metallurgy, manufacturing, and structural engineering. What are some of the biggest challenges in aligning these disciplines to create efficient, printable steel structures?
The main challenge lies within the interdisciplinary nature of adopting digital fabrication techniques in such an “old-fashioned” industry such as the steel construction one. As a researcher, I had to learn basics on robotics, metallurgy, material sciences, computational mechanics on top of my knowledge on structural design to efficiently deal with and adopt large-scale additive manufacturing.
Of course I could not do it all by myself: I’ve always found the best collaborators across all these disciplines to help me through my research. Thanks to that, I managed to create the first integrated design-to-fabrication framework for optimized structural steel elements, ensuring that both manufacturing constraints and structural requirements were met by the new optimized geometries.
You have experience working with large-scale metal printing initiatives like MX3D. What lessons from those projects shaped how you think about designing structures specifically for additive construction?
I was lucky to get the chance to participate in the very first steps of activities of MX3D with an internship there during my PhD.
I learned how to switch mentality when it comes to such a disruptive challenge as the adoption of large-scale additive manufacturing for steel construction. I understood the importance of learning the basics of robotic programming, and had the chance to print some of my first designs ever: a 2-meters high optimized diagrid column.
What does your software workflow look like today? Are you mainly using off-the-shelf tools, or have you developed customized methods for topology optimization and additive manufacturing?
As part of my research effort, I have developed a new integrated design-to-fabrication framework, called “blended optimization”, able to blend in all different parameters and requests for the printed design, from the manufacturing constraints to the structural requirements, leading to optimized structures with reduced material use and ready to be fabricated.
One of the tools that implement this concept is the Lattic3 plug-in for Grasshopper that I recently developed with Marco Palma from TU Wien.
The tool allows the design of slender lattice structural elements from conventional tubular steel members, matching the same inertia and therefore maintaining the same performances for lightweight applications. The plug-in was developed as part of a national research grant and embeds a design method for lattice structural elements that is currently under patent protection.
As you join CDFAM Amsterdam this year, what kinds of conversations or collaborations are you hoping to spark with others working in computational design, manufacturing, and construction?
As I just founded my own startup to help the development of large-scale metal additive manufacturing in design, architecture and engineering applications, I would love to connect with interested stakeholders curious to learn more about the potentials of adopting this manufacturing technology.
To meet Vittoria and explore the future of computational design in construction and fabrication, join us at CDFAM Amsterdam, July 9–10, 2025. With presentations from leading researchers, engineers, and software developers, it’s a unique opportunity to connect across disciplines and scales.
Register now →
