“Playing with Blocks” explores design strategies for a multi-storey building with the design freedom and functional integration potential provided by the Additive Manufacturing technology Selective Paste Intrusion (SPI) (Figure 1). The SPI method enables aggregates to be selectively bound with a cementitious paste for the prefabrication of large-scale and functionally hybridized building components.

In this design proposal, the use of lightweight aggregates (e.g., foamed clay or glass, perlite, etc.) with a low thermal conductivity was explored, which opens up the possibility to trap the unbound material within the bound structure and its cavities as an insulating material (Figure 4).The inner composition of the closed cells can be varied and functionally graded to fulfil both the structural and thermal requirements within a single building component.

Credits:

Research, Planning- and Realisation

Ema Krakovská (Lead design)
David Briels (Building physics)
Alexander Straßer (Lead fabrication)

Architectural Design
Amber Alvarez & Elke Meiersonne
AMtoARC – Course supervised by Prof. Helga Blocksdorf, Prof. Dr. Kathrin Dörfler, Prof. Dr. Norman Hack, Prof. Florian Nagler

Scientific Supervision
Prof. Dr. Kathrin Dörfler
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Kränkel
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christoph Gehlen
Prof. Thomas Auer