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This project explores emergent design methodologies to create and test a dialogue of digitally fabricated ceramic and timber components. Timber is used as carbon sequestering structural elements for the building, while ceramics are used for their shielding and provide functions such as water collection, thermal mass, and bio-receptivity. This is done with the aim of mitigating the extreme effects of a changing climate in London, including flooding, drought and heatwaves. System principles are then used to design an architecture occupied by transient communities of protesters and students to help foster bottom-up change in a time of increasingly fascist government.
A focus on digital manufacturing techniques and build quality is emphasised throughout, in order to stress the importance of these factors on the longevity of the architecture and concurrently, its ecological impact. Advanced manufacturing methods also enable physical designs which are closer to the complexity and beauty of nature, allowing architects to create systems of design rather than drawing by hand.
A custom delta-style clay 3D printer was designed and built in order to gain a deep understanding of the manufacturing process and enable rapid prototyping and experiments.
A series of sculptural pieces exploring materiality, form and connections.
A LiDAR distance sensor controls the brightness of the embedded LEDs, emphasising the interconnectedness of humans, technology and nature. This piece was printed with reclaimed clay from a London building site and fired to 1,100C.
Glulam timber beams form the main structural components of the buildings gridshell roof, while 3D printed ceramic tiles provide protection from the environment. The tiles’ geometry also creates a bio-receptive surface for plants to grow.