Smart Block

Smart Block is a digital fabrication project exploring the potential of the Pauta Queen, a large scale clay 3D printer built by Bruno Demasi.

Smart Blocks could be used both as construction blocks and as perforated interior screens or brise-soleil: in both cases, in order to produce objects with variable heights, we developed a system to deposit non-planar layers of clay controlling locally the amount of extruded material.

The resulting layers vary in height and the texture of the elements becomes an ornamental feature that is coherent with both the fabrication method and its geometrical concept. This allowed us to generate objects with unique forms that cannot be fabricated with traditional methods.

Smart Blocks can be installed in different orientations to generate different solutions: opaque walls, semi-transparent partitions or perforated dividers. Stacked on the ground they do not need structural support.  But installed on a supporting metal frame, Smart Blocks can be used as an architectural screen, brise soleil or mashrabiya.