Layered Earth

This project explores advanced 3D printing techniques using clay. Through layered deposition and computational toolpath strategies, the research investigates how texture, structure, and spatial logic can be encoded directly into the fabrication process. The printed forms—ranging from woven facades to metaball-inspired domes—demonstrate how material performance and architectural expression can emerge simultaneously. Sand was used not only as a temporary support during printing but as an active participant in shaping form, with its shifting heights influencing the outer contour of the structures. This dynamic between additive technique and responsive form sets the groundwork for new modes of construction.

Building on this fabrication-led approach, the project positions clay as a sustainable and locally sourced material for architectural applications, particularly in remote or resource-constrained environments. The prototypes envision new possibilities for self-sufficient construction systems—facades, vaults, and shared spatial units—that grow from the earth and adapt to it. In this vision, architecture becomes not an imposed object, but an evolving system shaped by local material, community needs, and environmental forces.