Architecture for Regenerating Living Ecosystems: Designing a clay module for a vaulted dome structure

Abstract

Coral reefs are rapidly vanishing in the Great Barrier Reef. Design may play a part in coral reef preservation. This paper describes the design process for developing a clay artificial reef inspired by the geometries of the Oulophyllia bennettae. The design aims to: 1. provide a structure for the rapid regrowth of a coral reef ecosystem, and, 2. demonstrate how the material clay can guide the development of form. The design process follows a material-centric approach. The paper outlines two manufacturing methods that transfer the digitally generated artificial reef models to the material realm as clay module prototypes. One process uses a robotic arm with a clay-filled syringe, while another process uses a traditional clay extruder. The results describe how the clay reacted to each method and how the design for the artificial reef evolved in response to these observations to develop functional form for an underwater environment.