Archinect - News

Architects install transnational pink seesaws at U.S.-Mexico border wall

2019-07-31T14:25:00-04:00

It may seem like an ordinary scene: Children and adults playing on pink seesaws, carelessly laughing and chatting with each other But this is a playground unlike any other. These custom-built seesaws have been placed on both sides of a slatted steel border fence that separates the United States and Mexico.

The binational Teetertotter Wall intervention, connecting Sunland Park, New Mexico with Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, is the brainchild of Ronald Rael, a professor of architecture at the University of California, Berkeley, and Virginia San Fratello, an associate professor of design at San José State University.

View this post on Instagram One of the most incredible experiences of my and @vasfsf’s career bringing to life the conceptual drawings of the Teetertotter Wall from 2009 in an event filled with joy, excitement, and togetherness at the borderwall. The wall became a literal fulcrum for U.S. - Mexico relations and children and adults were connected in meaningful ways on both sides with the recognition that the actions that take place on one side have a direct consequence on the other side. Amazing thanks to everyone who made this event possible like Omar Rios @colectivo.chopeke for collaborating with us, the guys at Taller Herrería in #CiudadJuarez for their fine cra...

Oakland-based architect and designer are heralded as pioneers of digital building

2019-03-18T18:41:00-04:00

Mr. Rael and Ms. San Fratello are committed to democratizing the process for their young acolytes and others, making the point that 3-D printing from “upcycled” materials otherwise destined for the trash heap, and forgoing the purchase of drywall and other construction supplies, is a more sustainable design approach. Ingredients like curry and coffee grounds not only lower the cost, they add a dash of poetry, retaining their aroma long after being transformed.

Ronald Rael and Virginia San Fratello, principals of the Oakland firm Rael San Fratello, have been pushing the envelope on 3D printing in architecture. The duo—who started the spin-off company Emerging Objects in order to develop materials and applications for the technology—have built a talent for transforming low-cost waste materials into building components. Examples include outdoor furniture made from recycled tires, a casserole dish printed from curry powder, and a cabin built using 4,500 3D printed ceramic tiles.

Beyond proving the potential of additive manufacturing, the two have helped to democratize the technology by making "3-D printing cheaper and more accessible," Patricia Leigh Brown explains in the New York Times. Mr. Rael and Ms. San Fratello often rely on the widely used method called "binder jetting," a process for which the standard materials can often be quite costly. In their pioneering use of non-traditional materials, from clay and wood to salt and chocolate, ...

3D printed Oakland cabin proves the architectural (and aesthetic) possibilities of additive manufacturing

2018-03-14T13:30:00-04:00

Emerging Objects is a self-described 3D Printing MAKE-tank founded by Ronald Rael, an Associate Professor of Architecture at University of California Berkeley, and Virginia San Fratello, an Assistant Professor of Design at San José State University. They are trailblazers in the 3D printing industry, specializing in cutting-edge architecture and building components. Their innovations include a porous ceramic brick that passively cools interiors, a teapot printed from actual tea, furniture made from recycled tires, and now, a fully-livable cabin.

Courtesy of Emerging Objects.

The Cabin of Curiosities is a culmination of the work the Bay Area start-up has been perfecting since its founding and proves the architectural potential of additive manufacturing on a weathertight, structurally sound building. Made from more than 4,500 3D printed ceramic tiles, the structure demonstrates 3D printing's potential for making highly designed building components from unlikely materials.

Courtesy of...

UC Berkeley team unveils "Bloom" 3D-printed cement structure

2015-03-06T20:49:00-05:00

A UC Berkeley research team led by Ronald Rael, associate professor of architecture, will unveil today (Friday, March 6) the first and largest powder-based 3-D-printed cement structure built to date. The debut of this groundbreaking project is a demonstration of the architectural potential of 3-D printing. It will close the fifth annual Berkeley Circus, which celebrates the research and accomplishments of the College of Environmental Design (CED) community.

Berkeley Prof Reimagines US / Mexico Border

2011-04-05T19:10:45-04:00

“It would be easy for me to raise a picket sign and as an architect say, ‘Down with this wall!’” Rael said in a release. “I have to accept the wall because it exists, but as a designer I see that something better is possible. Why not do something intelligent, something incredible? I envision not just a ‘dumb wall,’ but a social infrastructure that connects and improves lives on both sides.”