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A medieval Gothic monastery built using CAD / CAM
- WorkerBee28474 3y agoI believe this site has hit HN before: https://carmelitegothic.com/cnc-stone-carving/ https://carmelitegothic.com/cnc-stone-carving/
- kurthr 3y agoIt was quite a while ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33940043 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33940043
- SiliconMage 3y agoStonecutters, right out of the Simpsons.
- gjsman-1000 3y agoNo, the Stonecutters was a parody of the Freemasons. Ironically, there has never been anything the Catholic Church has published more formal statements denouncing, than Freemasonry. Not even the big ones like Abortion have as many. So much so, Francis released a formal response to a dubia (formal questioning) reaffirming that Catholics cannot be Freemasons just last week - even though the Freemasons represent a silly social club now, compared to what they used to be.
- lo_zamoyski 3y agoThe Freemasons today may be obsolete as a revolutionary political force (note Philippe Egalite’s comparison of Freemasonry to a candle and revolution to the sun), but the primary reason Catholics cannot be Freemasons is theological. Freemasonry, despite what its members might claim, makes definite theological assertions that are incompatible with Christianity, and specifically, Catholicism. [0] https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/what-are-the-masons-are-catholics-allowed-to-belong-to-this-organization-1174 https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/what-are-the-masons...
- donkeysquid 3y agoThis is the kind of content I come to hacker news for - thank you for posting and thank up voters for upvoting!
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- fgoesbrrr 3y agoI was told we can't build like that anymore.
- gjsman-1000 3y agoShocker, the Bauhaus graduates didn’t want people thinking different. ;)
- curtisblaine 3y agoBrutalism is yet another form of socialism that managed to make the world a bit sadder.
- fsloth 3y agoBrutalism-as-an-aesthetic-choice is cool, as-mandated-dogma just god awful.
- curtisblaine 3y agoIt always was an architectural movement influenced by political motivations: reaction to nostalgic architecture of the 40s and low cost social housing influenced by socialist principles. It was pretty much imposed in uk by the government after the war and created a series of terrible housing estates in which crime proliferated (because they are impossible to police). Brutalist aesthetic became a thing long after, as an acquired taste. Also tbh when people think of brutalist aesthetics they usually think of the same few grand building (like the Barbican Centre in London) that costed a lot of money, are constantly maintained to this day and are kind of an one-off. The day to day reality of brutalism, unfortunately, are huge blocks of high density houses in terrible maintenance conditions (reinforced concretes dissolves easily and leaves leaks and rusty rebar exposed) that cannot be replaced anymore.
- jona-f 3y agoI don't disagree, but i don't like how you make out socialism as the villain, sounds like you grew up with a lot of cold war propaganda. The absence of socialism means violence and war. If the states had a working social system, crime rates would be much lower. Personally I like to blame humanism for everything, that is, the delusion that humans are somehow better than what we really are.
- vintagedave 3y agoI could not find out how much a stone CNC milling machine costs. Does anyone know? It would be amazing to build a house with decorative elements like this. I've considered it for wood before -- but external carved stone would be amazing.
- ponector 3y agoOn Alibaba they starts from 40k USD. So I would bet the costs are at least $100k.
- krisoft 3y agoPlus these things basically require an extra building to house. But i guess people who are space poor should not build monasteries :)
- Log_out_ 3y agoIt's a industrial robot with a cnc add on? https://www.kuka.com/en-us/products/process-technologies/milling https://www.kuka.com/en-us/products/process-technologies/mil... Open source version: https://rosindustrial.org/news/2015/8/2/3d-automatic-path-planning-for-surface-machining https://rosindustrial.org/news/2015/8/2/3d-automatic-path-pl... https://docs.v1e.com/mpcnc/intro/ https://docs.v1e.com/mpcnc/intro/ Its a complex field but like 3d printers moving fast. You too shall engrave your families history into these walls.
- ReleaseCandidat 3y ago> It's a industrial robot with a cnc add on? No. More like these, but bigger: https://www.stylecnc.com/stone-carving-machine/ https://www.stylecnc.com/stone-carving-machine/ As seen on some photos: https://hackaday.com/2023/01/13/a-medieval-gothic-monastery-built-using-cad-cam/#jp-carousel-570788 https://hackaday.com/2023/01/13/a-medieval-gothic-monastery-... https://hackaday.com/2023/01/13/a-medieval-gothic-monastery-built-using-cad-cam/#jp-carousel-570791 https://hackaday.com/2023/01/13/a-medieval-gothic-monastery-... https://hackaday.com/2023/01/13/a-medieval-gothic-monastery-built-using-cad-cam/#jp-carousel-570790 https://hackaday.com/2023/01/13/a-medieval-gothic-monastery-... https://hackaday.com/2023/01/13/a-medieval-gothic-monastery-built-using-cad-cam/#jp-carousel-570796 https://hackaday.com/2023/01/13/a-medieval-gothic-monastery-...
- Uhhrrr 3y agoHaving read Anathem recently, I'm disappointed that they aren't taking it upon themselves to learn how to do it by hand.
- maksimur 3y agoThat would probably take a lot more time both in learning and execution.
- omnimus 3y agoExactly. The whole point of doing replica of something so old especially for religious reasons is the struggle. It doesnt matter how long it would take or hard it would be. It might never get finished and in this case that would be fine too. Instead this seems closer to concrete/plaster Disneyland for monks wanting to roleplay times long gone.
- krisoft 3y agoIt is probably still a multi generational project.
- lo_zamoyski 3y agoI don’t think that’s entirely true. Gothic architecture was the state of the art when it arrived on the scene, as were the building techniques involved. Sure, the labor involved dedication, perhaps it was penitential for some, but no one was maximizing for labor and exertion. Labor also cost money.
- omnimus 3y agoExactly this is neither state of the art creative neither its valuable for the journey/hand process.
- adhesive_wombat 3y agoI know where you're coming from, but I'm not sure I agree. Traditional medieval cathedrals were built right on the limits of the materials, skills and labour available and still took generations and sometimes still collapsed due to overambition: especially lantern crossings, which are heavy and only supported in the corners. Builders of cathedrals used the cutting edge tools and techniques of their days. If they'd declared, say, vaulted ceilings "cheating", they wouldn't have done what we see today. I don't see a tension here: to them, perhaps, the monks are using skill, tools and material God made available to them to do the best they can (also considering the labour force God has not given them). Rejecting God's offer of tools that can make a better cathedral would be like a medieval architect swearing off a horse-powered crane to get a heavy keystone in place. And for that matter, Gaudi's Sagrada Familia is only as complete as it is due to CNC stone cutting and other modern machinery. I just wish, considering these kinds machines exist, that we could have them used to make beautiful building again in general, rather than always plumping for a variation on a glass-and-steel box (perhaps it's simply about the cost, but I do wonder if it's also about what's even possible to draw in AutoCAD for a normal architect!).
- verisimi 3y agoWhere do monks get the money to build this beast?
- ReleaseCandidat 3y agoThe real question is "why"? And why would anybody think that's a good idea?
- curtisblaine 3y agoBecause many people believe that making beautiful things is a way to praise their God. Hopefully they're entitled to spend their money the way they like.
- ReleaseCandidat 3y ago> beautiful things My first association is "fake" - which _is_ appropriate to describe (especially the roman catholic) churches (organisations, not buildings). But I guess that that's not their intention ;) > Hopefully they're entitled to spend their money the way they like. I don't know about the US, but in Europe spending money in such a way would be heavily criticised.
- curtisblaine 3y agoThey're relying on donations and money they make selling stuff (roasted coffee, I think) and they're spending the money to praise God, which is pretty much what a religious organization does. Hard to criticize them in any meaningful way.
- oldgradstudent 3y ago> My first association is "fake" Better fake than the the latest fad in architecture. At least fake gothic could never have resulted in brutalist buildings.
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- thomasfl 3y agoCan someone please explain why they are using styrofoam inside the walls of the cathedral? Styrofoam is basically plastic.
- Zetobal 3y agoIsolation
- _qua 3y agoProbably for insulation to reduce heating costs.
- adhesive_wombat 3y agoIt's exactly plastic. It's probably thermal insulation. Certainly my house has thick sheets of expanded polystyrene in the floor, and in the roof. I think in the walls is glass fibre, but you can use plastic foam too.
- VHRanger 3y agoInsulation. Stone is pretty terrible at insulating. Old cathedrals are either cold, or extremely expensive to heat.
- jf___ 3y agoInsulation is about retaining heat. In the netherlands there's been too much emphasis on heat retention in houses built over the last ~15 yrs or so -- these houses are uncomfortable during the summer, since retaining too much heat. Another interesting take is that "passive" houses require heaps of mechanical ventilation, and these systems wear out in ~15-20 yrs. So over the course of the lifespan of a house, that adds up significantly. Stone actually can work well with the proper detailing (dealing with cold bridging, styrofoam is a good way to break the cold bridging ): Heat Storage: Stone, being a dense and heavy material, has a high thermal mass capacity. It can absorb and store a significant amount of heat during the day when exposed to sunlight or internal heat sources like heating systems. This stored heat is gradually released back into the indoor space during cooler periods, such as evenings or nights, helping to stabilize indoor temperatures and reduce heating or cooling requirements. Temperature Regulation: The thermal mass of stone can act as a natural temperature regulator, slowing down temperature fluctuations within a building. During hot summer days, stone absorbs excess heat, keeping indoor spaces cooler. In colder weather, it releases stored heat, helping to maintain a more comfortable and consistent temperature. Energy Efficiency: By using stone as a thermal mass material, buildings can reduce their reliance on mechanical heating and cooling systems. This, in turn, can lead to significant energy savings and lower utility bills, as the building naturally regulates its temperature with less energy input. Passive Solar Design: Stone can be strategically placed in a building's design to maximize its exposure to sunlight during the day. This allows for efficient passive solar heating, where the stone absorbs solar energy and releases it slowly, reducing the need for active heating systems.
- fsloth 3y agoThis is super awesome! Thanks for sharing.
- ttepasse 3y agoI'm not against putting beauty and care into architecture, especially church architecture, on the contrary. But I'm a little bit put off by the use of a gothic or neo-gothic style. Gothic architecture was a result of particular time and place. Using it outside that place makes it look weird, like these weird copies of European site you see sometimes in Las Vegas or China. Those renders look a little bit out of place for the surrounding landscape. One of the great things about traveling in Europe is so see how the basic format of a Church – the roman basilica – has evolved into multiple different regional (and temporal) styles and by using local architectural styles making Church architecture local. Backsteingotik in Northern Europe, Isabelline Gothic in Spain, Renaissance architecture in Italy, and so on – every one is beautiful in its own way. I'd would have love to see a monastery which is local to the architectural styles of Wyoming but with the craftsmanship used for this. Not being wyomese (?) I don't know how that would look – Google Images suggests maybe a mixture of stone and wood – but I would have liked to see it.
- jeremiahbuckley 3y agoNot only is this super cool by itself, there’s the possibility of transferred knowledge and someone else remixing to combine gothic and more modern ideas. Someone convince Elon to do the Mars base in nouveau-space-gothic.
- jf___ 3y agoRobotic wire cutting for architectural purposes has been a relevant innovation. That process is an order of magnitude more effective: you're cutting with a wire rather then a chipping a way with a milling bit. With a wire you're cutting 2 faces at a time, which is an important advantage over milling. These diamond wires are also used for quarrying the stone. https://vimeo.com/94076571 https://vimeo.com/94076571 The BRG Group at ETH Zürich has delivered some stunning project exploring a modern take on stereotomic / stone construction, both in terms of fabrication and engineering https://vimeo.com/167868985 https://vimeo.com/167868985