KR3N. alongside Stogerhaus, create 3D printed ceramic tiles, inspired by muscular capillaries, that investigate the future of intelligent envelope systems.  

Made through 3D printing clay, ‘Capillary’ is an additively manufactured tiling system. The piece was inspired by muscular capillaries and speculates on the diversion of water within facade systems. The assemblage of bespoke yet mass producible parts moves towards integrated modular components, and away from tiles as just a surface cladding.

 KR3N. collaborated with Josef Stoger (@stogerhaus), who all met at the Bartlett School of Architecture in London, to design and manufacture the installation during August and September 2023. On completion the tiles were displayed as part of 'Sample', an exhibition at the Blue on the Hill gallery, which brought together a diverse group of work.

 The name capillary refers to the blood vessel and its emergent role within larger natural systems. Conceptually the name reflects the project's ambition, to move towards integrated building components; where building functions are not seen as a bolt on utility, like drainpipes for the diversion of water, but rather as elemental natural processes that are catered for both at the building and object scale. Aesthetically, the capillary also signifies a departure from the plant centric view of what is seen as organic, and instead presents a muscular appraisal of the natural. 

 Clay printing, an incarnation of standard 3D printing technology, was partnered with automated methods of glazing and firing. The design aimed to demonstrate how machine additive manufacturing techniques presents a future for the zonal optimisation of buildings for performance. This echo's Mario Carpo's 'The Second Digital Turn', suggesting that an unlimited number of unique components could be produced with no impact to the scales of production. 

 KR3N. are excited by this principle's potential for the creation of intelligent buildings where the geometry of systems are responsive to bioclimatic or anthropocentric factors, such as plant growth, water diversion, aerodynamism or even sculpted geometry specific to daily life. In 'Capilary' this can be seen in the variation between adjacent tiles that form the global installation geometry, asking viewers to consider what a building envelope formed from these tiles might look like; and to question why if buildings are occupied so diversly, why their envelopes of our do not reflect this. 

 KR3N. have investigated part-based assembly systems and this project stood to demonstrate how the use of additive manufacturing techniques, alongside emerging computation, have the potential to optimise the performance of building components, and move towards an architecture than is both technologically intelligent, but also a pleasure to experience.