Summarize your thesis according to the following fairly straightforward rules:
~ 1 (one line that serves as your thesis statement)
+ 3 (three sentences that expand upon — without repeating — the original line)
+ 9 (sentences that flesh out the idea).
All three parts should build one argument, but should not repeat (or be merely restatements of the same thing). It may help to think of the first part as your title, the second as the subtitle, and
the third as an executive summary, or brief description you might find on the back of a book.

1+3+9

Roboforming is the embodiment of more for less and can be utilized to realize the goal of mass-customization in architecture.
Mass-customization is a recently-emerged 21st century paradigm that offers more quality, more control, more choice, and more sustainability. (Keiran and Timberlake, xiii) Roboforming, a new rapid prototyping technique for forming sheet metal efficiently that allows the fabrication of complex unique surface geometries without the need for expensive dies by utilizing two industrial robots, is perfect for the fabrication of mass-customized architectural facades. (Bruninghaus, 1) My background in robotic fabrication, architecture, and computational design will enable me to build a process chain for Roboforming which includes: constructing the blank holder, writing scripts to output tool-paths based on geometrical input, synchronizing two 6-axis industrial robots, and outputting an example of what Roboforming in capable in relation to customized architectural facades.
Architecture is being transformed by the incorporation of digital fabrication methods and architects’ role has been diminished, almost to a point where we have little control over the actual appearance of their design. (Callicott, 66) Architecture’s current state is much like that of computers and automobiles, where items can be ‘personalized’ from a predetermined set of choices. Architectural components should be customized to their program, forces, and environment. Achim Menges argues that architecture attains its relevance “through the articulation of material arrangements and structures,” thus, “the way we conceptualize these material interventions- and particularly the technology that enables their construction – presents a fundamental aspect in how we (re)think architecture.” (Menges, “Integral Formation and Materialisation”, 198) Mass-customization offers production of individual components at almost the price of mass production. (Scheurer, ”Materialising Complexity.”, 91) Roboforming, which follows this paradigm, is still largely unused in other manufacturing industries since it is not appropriate for mass-production in large quantities. (Meier, 37) However, I argue this trait makes Roboforming perfect for the production of architectural facades, which are custom to their site. This thesis’ role in the advancement of Roboforming is to fill gaps in the research of engineers and material scientists, who admit there is no existing software to easily output tool-paths for Roboforming and thus, Roboforming “has not been applied to a large complex geometry yet.” (Meier, 4) In addition, 3D plasma-cutting of Roboformed parts has not been explored, and could offer new possibilities. (Meier, 4)

References