ABSTRACT
To address the materiality of a post-waste scenario, a case study based on a calcium carbonate by-product from sugar refining was investigated. Here we demonstrate an interconnected workflow for fabrication scale up with a biopolymer-based composite material, Cal-x. Robotic 3D printing was employed as a method for construction, enabling customization to accommodate the material properties of Cal-x. A 4 x 2m prototype was assembled to explore the workflow and interface between material development, design, and robotic extrusion. The resulting output from this work, Calcareous Arabesque, was presented at the Design Museum London as part of the Waste Age exhibition, demonstrating a porous wall system that does not rely on continuous volumetric massing at an architectural scale. In future, implementation of advanced manufacturing to create architectural elements from industrial by-products has the potential to form the basis of a new circular biomateriality.
