Field Work: Earth Systems Studio

A lightweight wooden structure with radiating poles and fine woven netting stands among plants in a landscaped garden. — Clara Emmerling and Karis Cooks, Fogcatcher.

Field Work: Earth Systems Studio brought together students from MIT Architecture and Atelier LUMA to explore new approaches to designing and building in extreme environments and ecosystems increasingly shaped by climate change.

Hands manipulate a curved, modular wooden structure with circular openings and interlocking joints on a white surface. — Clara Emmerling and Karis Cooks, Fogcatcher.

An experimental wooden structure with intersecting poles and stretched mesh panels stands on grass overlooking the water. — Clara Emmerling and Karis Cooks, Fogcatcher.

The studio centered on three principles: In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), Bioregional, Natural Material Design, and Building with Nature. Working in teams, students focused on specific environmental conditions and developed structures for particular landscapes and ecosystems. Through material research, fabrication, and physical testing, they explored how locally sourced natural materials could be used to create lightweight, deployable structures capable of responding to conditions such as wind, rain, water, sun, and temperature.

A lightweight geometric structure made from translucent fabric stretched over triangular frames in a grassy field. — Avi Gilad, Icarus.

Two experimental lightweight structures made from translucent fabric stretched over geometric frames, including a modular pyramid-shaped form with an attached camera. — Avi Gilad, Icarus.

The studio developed through an iterative process of research, prototyping, testing, and field deployment. Students first developed and fabricated prototypes at MIT before traveling to Atelier LUMA in Arles, France, where the projects underwent their first full-scale deployment and field testing. Observations from this initial deployment informed a second phase of development and refinement back at MIT.

Gloved hands hold an open blue mold containing a compacted, sand-like material above a wooden fabrication apparatus. — Oliver Moldov, Salt:Sand.

A small bright yellow experimental structure sits on a sandy shoreline beside calm water, with a curving beach and distant tree-covered land. — Yihong Amy Chen and Lindsay Hu, Shapeshifter.

The studio culminated in a final field deployment on Cathleen Stone Island in Boston Harbor, where the structures were installed and tested. Moving between the studio, fabrication facilities, environmental testing, and two distinct field sites allowed students to evaluate their designs through direct interaction with materials, climate, and place.

Two people jump between three tall, fabric-wrapped structures with bright orange straps installed on a sandy shoreline beside the water. — Shengtao Shen and Constantinos Gallis, Sandjam.