Bio-Envelop (2025-03)¶

As the construction industry is one of the major sources of carbon emissions, investigating recyclable, biodegradable, and sustainable building material applications has received significant attention from architectural researchers. Full-scale additive manufacturing can now produce geometrically complex building components and reveal the potential to integrate sustainable biomaterials. This work aims to prototype an organic brick facade that can support vertical vegetation through 3D printing of biologically active earth-based materials. This work chose cow dung and laterite soil due to its fiber-reinforced nature and the history of such earthen-based material being used in construction. It investigates three major challenges of combining the precision of robotic additive manufacturing and the volatility of implementing natural materials: buildable material composition; printing device setup; and fabricationoriented component design. The structural and ecological performance of the printed mock-up was tested in the natural environment exposed to direct sunlight and rainwater. It believes the knowledge gained from working with biodegradable building materials will promote sustainable building design and digital fabrication.