IAAC: Digital Adobe

Architects: Alexandre Dubor and Edouard Cabay (see below for full team)

Location: Barcelona, Spain

Year of Completion: 2018

Area: 10 square meters

Digital Adobe is a research project developed by faculty directors Alexandre Dubor and Edouard Cabay at the IAAC (Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia) in 2017-2018 (The rest of the contributors can be found here). The goal was to apply additive manufacturing techniques to the creation of an adobe wall with “highly performative structural and passive/climatic behavior” that could be adapted to the material limitations and climatic conditions of many locations [1]. The project culminated with the design and construction of a wall composed of 3D printed Adobe bricks, assembled by hand. The printed mixture is composed of 43% clay (unusually high for traditional adobe) , 25% aggregate, 13% water, and 1% bio based additives. The mixture was developed and strength tested before  being used in smaller scale 3D printed prototypes and eventually the 1:1 wall. Assembly took 5 days [3]. The whole process can be seen in this video produced by the IAAC.

The structural capacity of the wall and its potential for integration with other building materials is demonstrated by the connection of a timber frame platform that bears on the wall. The research team also designed the wall to be self supporting. This is achieved through the tapering profile from 0.7m at the base to 0.2m at the top. This geometry combined with the wall’s own weight provide stability [1].

The other determinant of geometry was passive climactic behavior. The research team aimed to harness the natural properties of adobe, while enhancing them via geometric variation. Hollow bricks allow for cavity ventilation in the final assembly (while also saving material) and protrusions create a self shading effect that limits solar gain. The internal structure and fill of the bricks also vary with differing amounts of earth fill and sizes of cavities. These differences produce a portion of the wall more attuned to passive heat gain and another optimized for ventilation and therefore passive cooling [2]. 

The wall is significant for its demonstration of enhanced structural capacity with minimal material, and potential adaptability to various locales through enhanced passive heating and cooling made possible by the  varied brick profiles. While the production process is likely cost prohibitive for widespread application at time of its construction, the project is an important investigation into how an adobe structure’s performance might be enhanced through the formal possibilities made possible with additive manufacturing. 

1.Digital Adobe. IAAC. (2019a, April 30). https://iaac.net/project/digital-adobe/ 

2. Digital Adobe – additive manufacturing with adobe towards passive habitats. IAAC Blog. (2018, August 11)  https://www.iaacblog.com/programs/digital-adobe-additive-manufacturing-adobe-towards-passive-habitats/ 

3. IAAC, Digital Adobe, IAAC Open Thesis Fabrication (2018; Barcelona) Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTug99TUYcw&list=PLrJLvlOA1ReATJ-qyTKT5tFWdBVbYCuM-&index=10