Building with earth offers significant potential for reducing the carbon footprint of buildings. However, its high weight and labour-intensive construction methods make it particularly challenging to use in the renovation of existing buildings. «Build for Impact» therefore explores a lightweight, modular wall system made from earth-based materials that can be easily assembled, disassembled, and reused.
At the heart of the project is Impact Printing, a robotic fabrication process in which earth-based building components are produced through mechanical compaction. Unlike conventional formwork-based methods, geometry, material density, and composition can be precisely controlled. This allows components to be tailored to specific structural, thermal, acoustic, or spatial requirements.
The project develops lightweight, customised earthen masonry units. Their self-weight is reduced through the addition of fibres, straw, perlite, or pumice, as well as through internal cavities and optimised geometries. Combined with insulating materials such as hempcrete or cork, these elements form a high-performance wall system that requires no mortar. Interlocking joints and integrated fasteners enable reversible construction and facilitate future adaptations or the reuse of individual elements.
Prototypes will be developed and tested under real-world conditions in the Living Lab HIL. Potential applications range from flexible partition walls to acoustically effective elements for makerspaces. The project thus explores how local earth- and bio-based materials can be combined with digital fabrication to create resource-efficient, adaptable, and circular building systems.
