3D Printed Glitches

3D printing is a common resource within the architecture and design disciplines in higher education. As is the case with all tools, there is a predetermined functionality and expected outcome when using additive manufacturing technology. There are also learning opportunities rooted in unforeseen equipment errors. The following chapter outlines alternate approaches for the use of 3D printing beyond mere representation and utilization in higher education design environments. Manufactured glitches enable students to analyze the predetermined functionality of the tools they engage with, and enter into a dialogue with technology as a medium for exploration and authorial exchange. To explore these concepts, a series of case studies that tested the parameters of glitches in both digital (three-dimensional modeling software) and physical mediums (rapid prototyping) was completed by a group of architecture and design students at a Midwestern University in the United States.