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Natural Materials Lab

3d Printed Earth-Fiber Basketry

Research Assistant: Tashania Audrey Akemah

3D-printed soils and insulative fibrous infills.
Research Assistant: Reem Makkawi

Research Assistant: Tashania Audrey Akemah

Re-printing mix fibres and 3D printed soil
Research Assistant: Eleanor Davol

The Natural Materials Lab presented 3D-Printed Earth-Fiber Patterns Inspired by Traditional Basketry at the 2024 Formnext Exhibition in Frankfurt, as part of the Built Environment Additive Manufacturing (BE-AM) Symposium. This ongoing research explores the potential of earth-fiber composites to evoke rope- and yarn-like forms that reference traditional basketry techniques, reinterpreting ancient material practices through contemporary digital fabrication.

The project examines how weaving logics, both historical and modern, can inform new material systems. The BE-AM platform, led by researchers at the Technical University of Darmstadt, convenes a dynamic network of scientists, designers, manufacturers, and practitioners committed to expanding the horizons of additive manufacturing within the built environment.

3D-Printed Earth-Fiber Basketry follows a three-phase methodology. First, the team developed and tested natural clay-biopolymer mix designs, integrating plant fibers to enhance printability and structural integrity. Next, processing parameters such as nozzle diameter, layer height, extrusion rate, and clogging mitigation were calibrated for each viable mixture. Finally, the research investigated a range of basketry typologies, assessing surface curvature thresholds, including vertical, convex, and concave forms, and demonstrating their translation into textured, contour-rich prints. This research proposes a materially grounded approach to digital design, positioning earth-based composites as a medium through which traditional craft and sustainable innovation converge. By reimagining ancient techniques through additive processes, the work invites a renewed relationship between material culture and the environments we shape.

Researchers:
Lola Ben-Alon
Dr. Olga Beatrice Carcassi

Research Assistants:
Mohammad-Hossein Zowqi M.Arch ‘25
EunJin Shin M.Arch '24
Tashania Audrey Akemah, M.Arch '24

Exhibitions:
3D Earth-Fiber Basketry, Future Icons Selects at London Craft Week, London, UK, 2024
3D Printed Mud Fiber Vessels, Un-Natural Mat(t)erial Exhibition, Chania, Crete, 2024

Publications:

Carcassi, Olga Beatrice, Yierfan Maierdan, Tashania Akemah, Shiho Kawashima, and Lola Ben-Alon. “Maximizing fiber content in 3D-printed earth materials: Printability, mechanical, thermal and environmental assessments.” Construction and Building Materials 425 (2024): 135891.

Bryson, Zackary Eugene, Wil V. Srubar, Shiho Kawashima, and Lola Ben-Alon. “Towards 3D printed earth-and bio-based insulation materials: A case study on light straw clay.” In 18th International Conference on Non-conventional Materials and Technologies. 2022.

Akemah, Tashania, and Lola Ben-Alon. “Developing 3D-printed natural fiber-based mixtures.” In International conference on Bio-based building materials, pp. 555-572. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland, 2023.

Akemah, Tashania, and Lola Ben-Alon. “Developing 3D-printed natural fiber-based mixtures.” In International conference on Bio-based building materials, pp. 555-572. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland, 2023.

Carcassi, Olga Beatrice, Mohammad-Hossein Zowqi, Yierfan Maierdan, Shiho Kawashima, and Lola Ben-Alon. “3D-printed light straw clay: optimizing printing paths.” International Conference on non-conventional Materials and Technology (NOCMAT 2023), 2023.

PUBLICATIONS AND EVENTS

Columbia Books on
Architecture and the City

“un natural matterial” exhibition at the the centre for mediterranean architecture image

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First page of the article with abstract and introduction for Developing 3D-Printed Natural Fiber-Based Mixtures

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