Earth-to-Earth (2026-01)¶

As one of the most significant CO2-emitters and waste producers, the building sector needs disruptive changes. One possible approach is the radical decarbonisation of construction materials and developing novel construction methods for circular use of materials and building elements, for which earthen materials offer a unique potential. This paper presents a study combining digital fabrication processes with earthen materials and demonstrates through application in 1:1 scale how such an approach can lead to a more sustainable and efficient construction method. It also outlines how collaboration within an interdisciplinary team, including partners from industry, can pave the way for the successful implementation of new building processes in the construction industry. The study focuses on developing a novel constructive system, coined as “earth-to-earth”, in a real-world design and building project based on the combination of two cutting-edge fabrication processes for earthen materials, namely clay 3D-printing and the casting of poured earth. The project was realised in a newly established hybrid research and teaching format, which was conducted in collaboration between different universities and innovative industry partners as a one-week workshop. The goal was to design and fabricate a fully functional outdoor staircase. It included the parametric design of the overall geometry, the segmentation and generation of the individual formwork modules, 3D-printing and subsequent assembly of these modules to form the overall structure, and finally on-site casting of over 1000 kg of liquid earth.