A multidisciplinary team from the University of Virginia (UVA) has been selected to present their project, “Ecologically Active Structure,” at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. The team comprises Ehsan Baharlou (Department of Architecture), David Carr (Department of Environmental Sciences), and Ji Ma (Department of Materials Science and Engineering). Their work will be featured in the French Pavilion, curated by the architecture agency Jakob+MacFarlane, in collaboration with Martin Duplantier and Éric Daniel-Lacombe. The exhibition, titled “Vivre avec / Living with,” will run from May 10 to November 23, 2025, and is organized by the French Ministry of Culture and the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.
UVA team aligns with the sub-theme “Living with… collective intelligences,” which explores the collaboration between human expertise, natural systems, and technological innovation. The project investigates the feasibility of 3D printing self-supporting structures using a soil admixture without additives. These structures are designed to support plant growth, demonstrating a potential method for creating sustainable architectural elements using local materials .
Focused on developing a printable soil mixture that maintains structural integrity while providing nutrients necessary for seed germination, the researchers utilized White Clover (Trifolium repens L.) as the biotic component. Time-lapse images captured at 48, 96, and 144 hours show successful germination and growth of plants on the 3D printed soil structures. The fabrication process employed a robotic 3D printing setup, including a passive extruder and a progressive cavity pump (IMER Small 50 EVO) assembled to a KUKA KR 10 R1100-2 robot.
Due to ongoing renovations, the French Pavilion’s exhibition will be situated outside the traditional pavilion space, utilizing a temporary, lightweight structure constructed from reusable materials. The design emphasizes an open and inclusive environment, integrating the surrounding landscape and the adjacent canal. The exhibition is organized around six themes: Living with the existing, proximities, the damaged, vulnerabilities, nature and the living world, and collective intelligences. These themes address how architecture can adapt to and coexist with various environmental and societal challenges .
The 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, curated by Carlo Ratti, centers on the theme “Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective.” This overarching theme examines the intersection of different forms of intelligence in addressing contemporary architectural challenges. The UVA team’s project contributes to this discourse by integrating material science, environmental studies, and architectural design to create structures that are both sustainable and responsive to ecological systems .
3D Printing at Venice Biennale
Italian architecture and design firm Mario Cucinella Architects (MCA) presented “A Flower in San Servolo,” a 3D printed amphitheater unveiled during Green Design Days 2025 at the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale. The structure, located on San Servolo Island, consists of approximately 750 modular blocks across 62 different types, all 3D printed on-site using a lime-based material. The amphitheater was assembled without adhesives, using a dry-assembly method that allows for full reversibility and reuse. The design team noted that the structure accommodates performances, public gatherings, and educational use while integrating with the island’s topography.
Meanwhile, WASP, an Italian manufacturer of large-scale 3D printing systems for sustainable construction, partnered with Columbia University’s Natural Materials Lab to create “Earthen Rituals,” a clay-based installation displayed in the Arsenale’s “Natural” section of the Biennale. The research team used WASP’s 40100 LDM ceramic 3D printer and the 3MT LDM system to produce hundreds of earth tiles made from a mixture of construction waste soils and agricultural by-products. The process involved a “kitchen approach” to material formulation and incorporated techniques such as rammed earth, weaving, basketry, and figurine-making. The project team included graduate assistants from Columbia University’s GSAPP and received technical support from WASP’s Residency Program.
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Featured photo shows Lead researcher Ehsan Baharlou develops a wall prototype using a 3D printer. Photo via University of Virginia.
