Additive Manufacturing: A Key Driver for Construction in the Digital Age

Construction has traditionally relied on the unity of material, process, and form, with manufacturing processes acting as the essential link transforming materials into structural and architectural expression. While significant advances have been made in material technologies and digital design methods in recent decades, innovation in manufacturing processes has lagged behind, resulting in inefficient resource use, high CO 2 emissions, and limited formal potential. This paper argues for rethinking manufacturing processes through additive manufacturing as digital connectors between advanced materials and design tools, enabling the combination of automated, repeatable production with customized, performance‐driven forms. Based on research within the CRC TRR 277 “Additive Manufacturing in Construction” (AMC), the paper outlines its core mission, material–process interactions, and digital workflows. It highlights emerging applications and the transformation of construction sites into cyber‐physical production environments. Within the concept of Construction Industry 5.0, AMC establishes a paradigm combining digitally controlled material processing, human–machine collaboration and interactive design‐to‐fabrication workflows to align design freedom with economic and ecological performance.