Studio Gang/Walter P. Moore and Associates, Inc.

Interested in testing the structural potential of terra cotta outside common façade applications, Studio Gang designed a large-scale prototype that investigates the material’s compressive capability. Influenced by historic assembly methods as well as new fabrication technologies, the pointed-arch prototype (nicknamed “Archey”) demonstrates the spanning potential of this carbon-efficient building material by tensioning individual, extruded terra cotta units into a single, monolithic construction. Loosening the high-strength tensioning cables allows the entire prototype to be easily disassembled and reinstalled without waste. By reintroducing large-scale, structural terra cotta applications into production and use, the design demonstrates the environmental and functional possibilities of a modular, reusable, and low-carbon construction system.