Terraforms are empirical patterns that advance the design of future natural and built habitats. They are innovative material systems that blend human intention and natural self-emerging principles for a designed ecological function.
The intelligence of complex forms in nature that show the most optimal material patterns led to the development of a recipe for scale-free clay mixtures. This recipe has been replicated across diverse objects, showcasing the flexibility of the scale-free topology. This topology minimises stress distribution under uniform and heterogeneous pressure, enhancing material stability and hygroscopic functions. Terraforms can be applied to diverse interfaces, transforming inert materials into responsive, living entities.
This project project is a collaboration between Enza Migliore (Materialities Research Group, SUSTech School of Design) and Matteo Convertino (fuTuRE EcoSystems Lab , Tsinghua SIGS). It was exhibited at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia 2025. The project expands on the research developed through Terraforms - Material and Patterns Design exploring material systems and patterns through a broader ecological perspective.
