AHRC-Funded Research Project Explores the Future of Earthen Architecture Through Digital Fabrication
Dr Tavs Jorgensen, Associate Professor at the Centre for Print Research (CFPR), UWE Bristol is collaborating on a new two-year research project that aims to combine digital fabrication technologies with traditional earth-building practices to develop innovative low-carbon construction methods.
The project, Hybrid Digital Vernacular: Earthen Architecture Combining Robotic Fabrication and Human Skills, is funded through an Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Catalyst Grant and brings together expertise from architecture, engineering, craft and digital manufacturing.
The research explores how emerging technologies such as robotic fabrication and computational design can work alongside traditional building knowledge, rather than replacing it. By combining human skill with digital processes, the project seeks to create new forms of earthen architecture that are environmentally sustainable, culturally rooted and architecturally innovative.
Researchers will investigate how locally sourced earth-based materials can be used to produce stronger, lighter and more efficient building components. Potential outcomes include digitally designed earthen bricks, new construction techniques that combine machine precision with hand assembly, and architectural surfaces engineered to improve environmental performance while celebrating local craftsmanship and material traditions.
The project addresses growing concerns around the environmental impact of the built environment. By reducing reliance on high-carbon materials such as concrete and supporting the use of renewable and locally available resources, the research aims to contribute to more sustainable approaches to construction.
At UWE Bristol, the project team includes Dr Tavs Jørgensen, Associate Professor at the Centre for Print Research, and Professor Louis Rice from the School of Architecture and Environment. They join project lead Dr John Harding from the University of Reading and Mark Parsons from the University of Sheffield.
The research will be conducted across Bristol, Reading and Sheffield, with each location exploring place-based approaches to earthen construction. Collaborators include Earth Building UK & Ireland, The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, artists Emilie Taylor and Lucy Wright, Fulcrum Engineers, the School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering at the University of Sheffield, and architecture students from all participating institutions.
Through a programme of design development, material testing and public workshops, the team will create a series of experimental pavilions in each city. These structures will serve as public demonstrations of how traditional building materials and techniques can be reimagined through digital technology, offering new possibilities for sustainable construction while supporting local identities, craft traditions and material cultures.
