SOS School of Sustainability

Crafting the Future – SOS 2026

Developed as a master’s thesis project by students at SOS – School of Sustainability in collaboration with MCA R&D, Crafting the Future proposes a scalable, modular design framework to address the European housing crisis, using Milan as a test case. Built around a 2.5-meter structural grid, the system pairs glue-free Dowel Laminated Timber (DLT) floors with 3D-printed limestone walls enriched with local pozzolan.

Through our additive manufacturing research and toolpath optimization, the walls are engineered with climate-adaptive cellular cavities for thermal and acoustic insulation, while integrating benches, planters, and shelving directly into the printed geometry. Explored across both off-site modular prefabrication and on-site continuous printing, the project demonstrates how robotic construction and circular materials can deliver adaptable, low-carbon residential communities.