Terrano

Date: 2023
Location: Antonito, Colorado, United States

In Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado exist a unique architectural typology called the soterrano, underground cellars to keep foods cool in the summer and to protect from freezing in the winter. The word itself is fairly unique and particular to the regional dialect — literally the word means “subterranean”.

Terrano reverses this concept, creating an above-ground structure built entirely from the surrounding earth. It features a vaulted roof generated through algorithms for robotic construction, enabling the creation of a parabolic vault without the need for formwork. The project utilizes the Nubian vault technique—a curved structural form revived by Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy— a sustainable, timber-free building method that requires no support or shuttering during construction.

Terrano demonstrates the capacity to move into remote environments to build walls and roofs using only the ground itself as a low impact method of construction. 3D printing a roof has rarely been attempted, but this project is the first time a roof has been 3D printed in-situ and the first to be made of raw earth.

Credits

Design and Programming: Ronald Rael, Barrak Darweesh
Construction: Ronald Rael, Barrak Darweesh, Andrew Kudless, Michael Jiron
Equipment: Tilikum-3 by Twente Additive Manufacturing