TERRAPERFORMA - OTF research IAAC, Barcelona

3D Printed Performative Wall

The project, TerraPerforma, focuses on large-scale 3D printing, the influence of additive manufacturing on building with a traditional material – unfired clay – and climatic performative design.

Mud constructions are an ancestral technique, based on the use of local material with an ecological footprint which is close to zero. It is a material that is used worldwide, which allows significant winter heating and summer cooling, due to the thermal inertia properties. Additionally, due to the ability to absorb and evaporate, clay offers a self-regulating humidity environment, promoting a healthy indoor climate. However, while clay has been used in vernacular architecture for thousands of years, today it faces the stigma of being associated with traditional or underdeveloped areas. However, by pairing it with contemporary technology, the aim of the project was to develop a prototype which would state clay as a plausible construction material for any type of architecture, relevant to the developing architectural field.

The project combines three various posture of 3D printing – Robotic fabrication, on-site printing and printing with clay, examples of which have been studied while developing the TerraPerforma project.