SOS School of Sustainability

Crafting the Future – SOS 2025

Developed as a master’s thesis project by students at SOS – School of Sustainability in collaboration with MCA R&D, Ercilia: Earth City Integrating Living Intelligent Architecture reinterprets the vernacular wisdom of Shibam, Yemen, the "Manhattan of the Desert", through computational design and additive manufacturing. Synthesizing climatic and spatial research across four global contexts, the project translates traditional mud-brick towers and mashrabiya geometries into a self-sustaining, modular habitat.

At the heart of the system is a family of dry-assembled, interlocking 3D-printed blocks featuring cylindrical profiles and conical male-female joints. These modules stack to form self-shading curved walls that house radial timber beams directly within the masonry courses. While staggered brick variations create breathable, permeable facades that filter harsh desert sunlight, the continuous vertical cavities within the blocks accommodate natural fiber insulation, passive ventilation flutes, rainwater harvesting, and building utilities.

Hosted at our facility for the prototyping and fabrication trials, the blocks were 3D-printed using a natural lime-based material supplied by Calchèra San Giorgio. By optimizing the robotic printing toolpath and surface embossing, we reduced individual component weight for effortless self-construction, creating a versatile building block that seamlessly extends from structural walls to modular indoor furniture and oasis planters.