Juliana Rodriguez Torres - Ergonomics in Earthen 3d Printed Water Fixtures

Ergonomics in Earthen 3D Printed Water Fixtures

This research was developed through IaaC's 3d Printing Architecture postgraduate program.

Researchers/ Juliana Rodríguez Torres, Mariam Arwa Al Hachami, Nawaal Saksouk

Faculty/ Vincent Huyghe, Ashkan Foroughi, Francesco Polvi

Directors/ Edouard Cabay, Alexandre Dubor

The advantages of 3d Printing in relation to Ergonomics consider the Careful Human Scaled Details, the possibility of Continuous Surfaces, and Earth’s Tactile characteristics.

In order to focus the scope of the research, we chose to look primarily at Water Fixtures, understanding their importance in a Living Prototype, considering Sanitation as a necessity, leisure and ritual.

The series of questions which we have faced are:

1. What are the potentials of designing ergonomic inhabitation with Earthen systems? What are the characteristics and the challenges of this material?

2. What can the 3D printed manufacturing process bring to ergonomic design? What advantages does it have over traditional constructive methods?

3. What are the criteria/quantitative measurements of ergonomic performance we can use, in order to propose solutions through comparative evaluation? This has been a crucial part of the first stage of this research, which is why today we will present this initial framework of evaluation.

4. What are the [potential] functions of water fixtures, what are their required performances in relation to the human body? Wet Spaces in general accommodate different activities (be it bathing, cleansing, etc.). Having narrowed the focus on one fixture in specific and the potential integrated functions a wall can hold in relation to the human dimensions, there is an intention to determine what strategies can be re interpreted to other water fixtures beyond our research scope.

5. All of this, takes us into considering the question of our subtractive clay voids and the relation with the user

To state a concise Research Objective we have defined it as:

To measure and achieve the design of a wall that can geometrically envelop the functions of water fixtures into space, considering ergonomic performance

Key Terms: Ergonomics, 3D Printing Clay, Inhabitation, Minimal Living Spaces, Domestic Choreographies, Human Dimensions