How to grow (on) a building

Part of Jerusalem Design Week, a team of designers 3D printed a wall made of seeded soil, which sprouted into a green façade.

Two of the most common building materials, concrete and steel, are responsible for 22% of total global emissions, so it is vital to look for more sustainable alternatives.

The 3D printed wall was made using a custom-made robotic arm designed by a digital workflow. The robot executes the command for the digitally designed structure by taking a mixture of soil and seeds used as building materials and printing layers of the mixture one on top of the other.

3D printing buildings with soil is not new, per se, as you can find examples here and here. However, in this project, dubbed To Grow a Building, seeds are added into the soil. These seeds sprout, adorning the wall with a green façade. On the inside, roots form to reinforce the soil.

To Grow a Building was part of Jerusalem Design Week, 23 to 30 June 2022.

Photos: Dor Kedmi