Wes Mcgee
Lecturer in Architecture, Digital Lab Coordinator 2008 – Present
University of Michigan, Taubmann College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Ann Arbor, MI
Instructor in Architecture; Digital Lab Coordinator 2007–2008
Harvard Graduate School of Design, Cambridge, MA
Masters in Industrial Design 2005
Georgia Institute of Technology, College of Architecture
Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering 2001
Georgia Institute of Technology, College of Architecture
Teaching Assistant 2003 – 2005
Georgia Institute of Technology, Advanced Wood Products Laboratory
Principal 2008 – Present
Matter Design
Managing Member 2005 – 2008
Thing Farm, LLC, Atlanta, GA
General Manager 2005 – 2007
DEX Studios, Atlanta, GA
Wes Mcgee received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2001, and a Masters in Industrial Design in 2005. During graduate school he worked as a lab and teaching assistant at the Advanced Wood Products Laboratory, a one of kind large scale CNC lab devoted to education and the advancement of industrial woodworking technology. His graduate research focused on low volume production techniques for furniture fabrication using 5 axis CNC routers. His work has been exhibited by the Furniture Society of America, and the Museum of Design Atlanta. This research has now evolved into the development of large scale robotic manufacturing systems for architectural fabrication. The first of these systems was installed at the Harvard Graduate School of Design in 2008. An installation of work resulting from a class taught with Martin Bechthold and Monica Ponce de Leon was recently completed at the Harvard GSD, titled Surfacing Stone. The second iteration of this robotic fabrication system was just designed and installed by Wes at the University of Michigan.
Wes has always focused on cultivating an understanding of craft and material. Before going to engineering school he focused on welding and machine technology. Since then he has focused on understanding every aspect of the digital workflow and mechanics of modern fabrication. The recent focus on digital design and fabrication technology in architecture has presented a unique opportunity for the extension of this understanding. His current teaching at the University of Michigan revolves around streamlining the path from digital design to fabrication, and exploring new techniques for automated production.