The Castle, a collaboration between the School of Architecture & Design (UTAS) and Youth Futures Inc (YF), assists youth at risk of homelessness by deploying micro-dwellings to households experiencing spatial and emotional distress. The digital construction system has been tailored specifically for low-skilled labour through reliable and predictable component jointing, a limited palette of materials, minimal tooling and assembly instructions. A detailed interrogation of the construction ‘grammar’ has resulted in the development of a software plugin that increases the efficiency and reliability of the design, documentation and fabrication process. The plugin, called ‘SuperSlob’ (the term ‘slob’ derived from the slot and tab connection) has been developed by students and staff at UTAS, in partnership with a software programming consultant.

The brief for SuperSlob has prioritised ‘accessibility’ so the Castle construction system can progress from limited ‘customised production’ toward mass customisation. SuperSlob integrates all stages of design and documentation – from module and material parameters, to component configuration, ‘router-ready’ jointing, and file management. SuperSlob is currently being tested by students in two ‘Learning by Making’ studios: a ‘Crisis Accommodation Bus’, and ‘Design Island’. Feedback from the users of the plugin will contribute to the further development of SuperSlob.