Bologna-based architecture studio Mario Cucinella Architects and 3D printing specialists WASP have collaborated to create a low-carbon housing prototype that is 3D printed using clay.
Named Tecla, a combination of the words technology and clay, the home was designed by Mario Cucinella Architects and was constructed and engineered by Wasp using clay sourced from a nearby riverbed.
Top: Tecla was made by Mario Cucinella Architects and Wasp. Above: the prototype was printed using 350 layers of clay
Printed in Massa Lombarda, Italy, the home is formed of two connected dome-shaped volumes with a ribbed outer wall that is made up of 350 stacked layers of 3D-printed clay.
The clay is arranged in undulating layers that not only provide structural stability but also to act as a thermal barrier. It is made up of two circular volumes
The prototype was constructed using a multilevelled, modular 3D printer that uses two synchronised arms, each with a 50-square metre printing area that can print modules simultaneously.

By using this technology, housing modules can be built within 200 hours while consuming an average of six kilowatts of energy and reducing typical construction waste almost entirely said the construction team.
The prototype has a ribbed exterior
According to the studio, the housing prototype combines ancient building techniques with modern technology to form recyclable, low-carbon, climate-adaptable housing.
"TECLA responds to the increasingly serious climate emerge...