TERRENE is a multidisciplinary research project by DumoLab Research at the University of Pennsylvania’s Stuart Weitzman School of Design with collaborators from the Polyhedral Structures Lab and Complex Fluids Lab.
Modern building practices contribute to nearly half of global greenhouse gas emissions, with 11% coming from manufacturing materials such as glass, steel, and cement. Fundamental flaws lie in energy intensive extraction and synthesis, transportation of non-local resources, and a lack of design for disassembly, reuse, and decay. Terrene 3 explores the enhancement of lightweight bio-based earthen construction in a wide leg arch by combining structural and material optimization methods. It uses graphic statics calculations and simple pervasive materials. ChitoSand, a thin bilayer of sand is bound by biopolymers, short fibers in the mix augment local tensile strength, a woven fabric substrate intensifies global bending capacity, and reusable falsework acts as scaffolding during curing.
News: With contributions from DumoLab's senior research scholar Eda Begum Birol and from visiting researcher Aaron Dorand, Terrene 3.0 will be in display at "FLAX FORWARD ::: Regeneration of Flax" at Parsons School of Design's Arnold and Sheila Aronson Galleries on 5th Avenue in NYC in October & November of 2024. Organized by Healthy Materials Lab, the exhibit will discuss old/current/new applications of fiber, seed, oil, or shive products from the flax plant and encourage increased regional development of flax fiber in North America (https://healthymaterialslab.org/events/regeneration-of-flax-exhibition).
Team: Undergraduate Researchers: Destynn Keuchel (Materials Science ‘26), Na Lee (Cognitive Sciences ‘25). Graduate Researchers: Liam Lasting (SOM, DumoLab Alum), Bingyu Guo (Harvard GSD, MDes), Mostafa Akbari (PSL Polyhedral Structures Lab, PhD). PI: Dr. Laia Mogas-Soldevila.
Publication: 2024, "Terrene 3.0 Biodegradable Earthen Composite Shells", D Keuchel, N Lee, B Guo, M Akbari, M Akbarzadeh, L Mogas-Soldevila - Proceeding of the Responsive Cities Conference: Materialize And Re-Build, Barcelona SP. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/y21711cwyurpdfuy1tfzp/Terrene-3-RCS-23-P…;
Acknowledgements: Dr. Masoud Akbarzadeh (PSL Polyhedral Structures Lab) Abigail Weinstein and Shivani Chawla (DumoLab), Shravan Pradeep (Complex Fluids Lab, Postdoctoral Fellow), Michael Cellucci, Steve Szewczyk (Penn Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter).
Funding: Design, methods, and materials developed by DumoLab and PSL, primary funding from Johnson&Johnson Foundation WiSTEM Award and Penn CURF Grant to Dr. Mogas-Soldevila.
View Slideshow
