TALK // WHEN DESIGN MEETS REALITY: LEARNING THROUGH MAKING // FUN YUEN

This session explores what sits between the digital model and the built object: the hands-on process of turning a design into something that can actually be fabricated, assembled and built.

Drawing on projects from Mamou-Mani Architects and Fab.Pub, Fun Yuen reflects on the journey from computational design to built reality through a series of project stories. From an installation that had to be dismantled just hours after it was completed, to large-scale robotic 3D printing, public sculptures and architectural installations, each project shows how iteration, material understanding and teamwork shape the final outcome.

Rather than focusing on software alone, the session explores the relationship between design and fabrication, showing how each prototype, iteration and challenge shaped the journey from digital model to built reality.

The session is aimed at architects, designers, students and makers interested in computational design, digital fabrication and the realities of delivering ambitious ideas. Through honest project stories and practical lessons, the talk shows how resilience, iteration and collaboration matter just as much as the algorithms behind the design.