Back in 2021, Mario Cucinella Architects and WASP, a prominent Italian 3D-printing company, embarked on a groundbreaking project in innovative 3D construction: TECLA, a house 3D-printed entirely from raw earth. This technological marvel, pioneered by controlling the speed, angle, and path of the extruder nozzle, has evolved over the past five years, shaping diverse architectural landscapes. Through innovative design, architects are crafting intricate surface motifs directly into structures, merging traditional earth-building techniques with modern digital computation.
Discover how a self-taught artist beautifully captures architectural forms, offering a unique perspective on the artistry involved in architectural design.
TECLA: A Pioneer in Cutting-Edge 3D Printing and Earth-Based Architecture
TECLA’s design utilizes robotic extrusion to transform local subsoil into expressive forms, using a dual-arm modular crane printer that produces 350 continuous layers of raw earth. These layers form two interlocking parabolic domes that act as the structure, roof, and envelope. The ribbed, undulating walls serve as a thermal buffer while showcasing the layered textures of the printing process. This ambitious project required 200 hours of continuous printing and 60 cubic meters of material.
Japan’s Innovative Earth House Model B
In 2025, Japan embraced this technique with the Lib Earth House Model B in Yamaga, built by Lib Work and Arup using the Crane WASP system. The 100-square-meter home features 3D-printed earth walls as interior partitions, which adapt to Japan’s seismic regulations. Deeply ridged, undulating walls interact spectacularly with natural light, combining structural and aesthetic purposes—a prime example of state-of-the-art 3D printing in action.
Mexico’s MANUFACTURA: Bridging Tradition and Technology
Mexican studio MANUFACTURA created CORNCRETL, a 3D-printable material derived from nejayote, during a residency at WASP’s facility in Italy. Blending lime with Carrara marble powder, this material pays homage to pre-Hispanic Mayan building traditions and results in sinuous, visually programmed walls that seamlessly fuse past and present through this pioneering method.
Columbia University’s Earthen Rituals at Biennale
For the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, Columbia University’s Natural Materials Lab collaborated with WASP to present Earthen Rituals. This installation, inspired by techniques like rammed earth and weaving, showcased intricate 3D printed textures informed by ancient construction methods and agricultural by-products.
Italy’s Itaca House: Enhancing Earth Architecture
WASP’s Shamballa research site near Bologna features the Itaca house, a structure with walls printed using a lime-based mixture. Spanning 164.9 m², the house includes walls with a distinctive diamond pattern that creates a rhythmic woven effect. The design features central openings and protruding diamonds that play with light and shadow, a testament to advanced 3D printing technology.
In similar groundbreaking architectural efforts, Delcy Morelos creates towering earth monuments, which blend natural materials with artistic vision, capturing the essence of earth-based design.
Spain’s Forest Campus: A 3D Printed Innovation
The Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia, along with WASP, unveiled the 3D Printed Earth Forest Campus near Barcelona. This project employed local soil to create a lattice structure with breeze-block-like walls, experimenting with both elevation and depth. The campus’s creation illustrates the versatility of groundbreaking 3D construction in architectural design.
This transformative process with earth redefines architecture by allowing architects to integrate ornamentation and structure in a single, efficient process. Through the precise carving of curves and motifs, designers demonstrate that detailed craftsmanship is no longer an afterthought but an inherent part of the construction. This shift emphasizes a digital approach that marries robotic precision with human creativity, shaping a unique language for modern earthen architecture.
Source: archdaily.com
Frequently asked questions
What is TECLA and how was it constructed?
TECLA is a house 3D-printed entirely from raw earth, created by Mario Cucinella Architects and WASP. It was built using a dual-arm modular crane printer that produces 350 continuous layers of raw earth to form two interlocking parabolic domes. The project required 200 hours of continuous printing and 60 cubic meters of material.
How does Mexico’s MANUFACTURA use 3D printing?
Mexican studio MANUFACTURA developed CORNCRETL, a 3D-printable material derived from nejayote, during a residency at WASP’s facility in Italy. This material blends lime with Carrara marble powder and pays homage to pre-Hispanic Mayan building traditions, creating walls that seamlessly fuse past and present.
What is Italy’s Itaca House and its design features?
The Itaca house is located at WASP’s Shamballa research site near Bologna and has walls printed using a lime-based mixture. Spanning 164.9 m², its design features central openings and a distinctive diamond pattern that creates a rhythmic woven effect, playing with light and shadow.