SHADOWQUILT
2024
Harvard GSD |
SCI-6387
| Digital Production at Scale
with Brandon Soto & Savannah Kay-Yun Cheung
Produced in collaboration with the Autodesk Technology Center, Boston, MA & with support from STUD-IO
An experimental 1:1 wall section to support the reuse of damaged drywall panels and a digitally fabricated facade. The design takes inspiration from traditional textile motifs, exploring applications of pattern and patchwork in the built environment.
Birch plywood, acrylic, steel |
1m x 1m
Digital Fabrication, Design Research, Architectural Design
Drywall scraps from a demolition site were 3D scanned, arranged across the panel for maximum material preservation, and trimmed to produce clean edges. The resulting geometry was used to create a custom steel studwall using a Howick cold-roll-forming steel framing machine. Drywall pieces were picked and placed onto the bespoke frame with a 6 axis industrial robotic arm.
For the facade, the textile-inspired pattern was CNC milled in baltic birch ply and inlaid with edge glow acrylic.
The final result and effect is highly dynamic, dependent on both viewing perspective and environmental conditions. Light, shadow, and gradations in material opacity create compelling effects with both natural and artificial light.
PREVIOUS
all rights reserved
©
Ben Kazer 2026
ABOUT
Ben Kazer is a designer, researcher, and artist living and working in Cambridge, MA.
He completed his B.S in Cognitive Neuroscience at Tufts University and a Master in Design Studies at Harvard Graduate School of Design, where he continues to serve as a critic.