Aguahoja

The project is a collection of artifacts made almost entirely out of organic matter and shaped by water. The works aim to subvert this cycle through the creation of bio-polymer composites that exhibit tunable physical and environmental properties in ways that are impossible to achieve with their synthetic counterparts.

The collection Aguahoja – comprising Aguahoja I and the upcoming Aguahoja II – was conceived in commemoration of the UN’s recent World Water Day. Aguahoja I include three artifacts, the central piece of which is an ‘architectural pavilion’, a 5m-long spinal structure comprising 95 individual 3D printed segments. The F900 3D Printer was selected as the ideal technology to manufacture the pavilion’s large-scale and complex geometric FDM skeleton, given its extremely large build size capability. However, assembling such a tall and complicated structure presented a challenge – as a result a series of custom fixtures were printed to hold each individual component together. Chosen for its superior mechanical properties and aesthetic appearance, the robust ASA material provides the necessary rigidity to keep the entire structure stable, while also housing organic matter.

Aguahoja II will comprise a second pavilion and associated artifacts. Co-organized by the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum and Cube Design Museum in Kerkrade, Netherlands, The works will revisit the design issues in the context of Material Ecology – the Group’s design approach and philosophy.