Clay construction
An overview of projects, products and exclusive articles about clay construction
News • News • 13 Oct 2023
Housing project in Ibiza by 08014 makes use of earth-filled clay walls for thermal mass
Barcelona-based studio 08014 has completed a refreshing housing project built of natural materials with earthy colors in southern Ibiza. Titled ‘24 Public Dwellings in Platja D'en Bossa' the 2600 square meter residential building is set on a flat and square urban plot and organized around four interior courtyards. Its massing and design communicate a rational grid and make use of simple, geometric forms. And its striking facade is built of off-white clay walls with terracotta-red blocking used to frame square windows. The ground floor facade is also built in red blocking, appearing as a solid plinth which supports the lighter-colored upper levels; this continuous band extends beyond the building to merge with the landscape by becoming... More
Project • By Mário Martins Atelier • Private Houses
Casa 27
Casa 27 is situated on a spacious plot with a privileged view, it stretches away to the eat, across the intense green, slowly downward as it plunges into the Alvor estuary and its many different tides.
© Fernando Guerra / FG+SG
The idea was to choose a natural, textured material for the cladding at the base. A vivid material with some volume, to blend with the surrounding landscaped garden, but also to offer greater lightness to the smooth plastered volume, which are the blank canvas and the backcloth of the house.
© Fernando Guerra / FG+SG
A very rich chromatic material was chosen for Casa 27, which conveys the force of the soil and ages with integrity: Santa Catarina solid bricks, made artisanally, set into ran... More
News • News • 6 Aug 2021
The Clay Rotunda combines traditional knowledge of clay construction with contemporary digital design and fabrication
Built inside the newly refurbished Gurten Brewery in Bern, The Clay Rotunda by Gamazio & Kohler is a free-standing earth-based cylindrical construction forming the outer, soundproof shell of the SE MusicLab. Taking advantage of innovative computational design techniques, the structure measures 11 meters in diameter and 5 meters in height. It is made of unreinforced clay, a zero-waste building material, and was built in-situ by a mobile robotic system.
Gramazio Kohler Research
With computational modelling controlling the geometry of the shell, the Rotunda's thinness is achieved thanks to an undulating design that allows for an increased footprint that stabilizes the structure and prevents buckling.
Gramazio Kohler Re... More
News • News • 29 Jan 2021
3D printed global habitat concept TECLA to be launched in Bologne
In a time of exponential population increase and an associated lack of affordable housing, TECLA is a 3D printed habitat made of reusable, recyclable materials taken from the earth itself. Designed by MC A – Mario Cucinella Architects and engineered and built by WASP (Italy’s pioneering 3d printing specialists), the first prototype of TECLA is due to be launched this year near Bologna, Italy.
WASP
Inspired by the potter wasp, TECLA will be constructed with multiple collaborative 3D printers using locally sourced clay. A biodegradable and recyclable ‘km 0 natural’ material, the use of local clay that will result in a building that is effectively zero-waste.
WASP
The design is able to adapt to multiple envi... More