TECLA, the world’s first raw earth house constructed using 3D printing, is to be exhibited as one of 17 projects in the Build Better Now virtual exhibition at COP26. As we previously reported, the exhibition will also feature a sustainability-focused 360-degree virtual pavilion designed by Make Architects, forming the exhibition’s centerpiece.
Originating in Italy, and designed by MC A (Mario Cucinella Architects) and WASP (World's Advanced Saving), TECLA features an innovative circular housing model that combines vernacular architectural principles with advanced building technology. The scheme also takes inspiration from one of Italo Calvino’s “Invisible Cities,” with its attention to whole life cycles evoking the idea of a city in continuous construction.
“It is an almost zero-emission project,” explains MC A. “Its envelope and the use of a locally sourced material have made it possible to reduce waste and scrap. The local clay is quarried, shaped, inhabited, and, once it is no longer needed, it can simply return to the ground in a virtually infinite cycle that leaves no trace on the planet.”
The 3D printed walls of the scheme are designed with a cave-like curvature, providing structural stability while also acting as a thermal barrier. This atypical shape allows for structural balance during construction, facilitating the 3D printed process without extensive temporary support. Internally, the 60-square-meter (646-square-foot) home contains furnishings which are partially printed in local earth and integrated into the raw earth structure.
The prototype to be displayed at COP26, with an estimated print time of 200 hours, can be replicated and adapted for different environments in response to local climates and conditions. The composition of the earth mixture also responds to available resources, as do envelope variations which can place emphasis on thermal mass, insulation, or ventilation.
Alongside TECLA and 16 other exemplar projects, the Build Better Now virtual pavilion will host an events series comprised of tours and talks, keynotes, panel discussions, and other downloadable content aimed at highlighting the impact of the built environment on climate change, and potential mitigations or solutions. The events will be free and open to a global audience, running from October 31st to November 12th, 2021.
11 Comments
how does it work with rain and snow?
I'm guessing there isn't much precipitation in the locale where it was built so it sun-bakes like adobe or any clay product (stronger with some fiber mixed in). Just a guess. If there's rain or snow, like the area I am contemplating building in, then it would have to be a Portland cement mix. I am experimenting with crushed lava and cement to get a Roman tufa-like product.
cute, and perfectly timed for halloween and the release of Dune. thanks!
Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, would've been safe in these.
Endless!
It reminds the work of Nader Khalili's Cal Earth structures:
https://www.calearth.org/tour
only in shape, calearth pointed to a low tech solution, this is beyond high tech.
Not sure about the overall environment effect of site firing clay into a ceramic structure ... but low-tech human-labor construction is on point.
Khalili's Geltaftan technique required firing (and didn't really work). The current Cal-Earth work uses a whole lot of portland cement so...
I suppose the self-closing nature of domes makes them ideal shapes for printing. Nicely configured and a very beautiful version of a printed home. Right now though, it looks at the second home market regardless of the tract home next door.
The designers of these kinds of curved interiors tend to include too much built-in furniture and cabinets which bugs me.
I love it. I’d live in it. I think I’d feel healthier and happier living in it….other than the fact that my wife would divorce me and my kids would take her side.
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