The Summer Workshop explored the structural, architectonic, environmental, and social dimensions of TRC and its application, particularly in the context of school programs in the Global South, where it serves as a socially and environmentally sustainable “lightweight” material.
Building upon the TRC Prototype Pavilion initiated in 2019 at EPFL Fribourg and previous research by Brazilian architect Lelé on Argamassa Armada (ferrocement), the summer workshop aimed to craft full-scale (1:1) Textile Reinforced Concrete (TRC) elements for a new secondary school in Somaliland, Africa, a project led by Urko Sanchez Architects, based in Kenya. Additionally, we aim to facilitate knowledge exchange between different experimental projects in Latin America and establish a second case study in Africa, leveraging research findings from Nicaragua to inform and adapt solutions to the new African context.
We've also explore the application of Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (LC3) for TRC, a sustainable binder developed at EPFL, for implementation in Africa. This experimentation, made possible through collaboration with the LMC lab at EPFL, represents a significant step forward in sustainable construction practices.
Our working method follows an iterative process of development through testing at EPFL Fribourg. Architecture, environmental engineering, and civil engineering students developped structural elements in textile-reinforced concrete, fabricated formwork in folded metal, prepared textile reinforcement, mixed and cast LC3 concrete, and analyzed the materials, structural components, assembly, and behavior of TRC-LC3 elements.