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Lola Ben-Alon

@naturalmaterialslab

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The Natural Materials Lab, directed by Lola Ben-Alon at Columbia GSAPP, catalyzes readily available, low-carbon, nontoxic earthen building materials.

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The Natural Materials Lab at @columbiagsapp is hiring! We are seeking an exceptional candidate for an Adjunct Associate Research Scientist/Scholar position, with an anticipated start date in Fall 2026 or Spring 2027. The ideal candidate holds a PhD in Architectural Technology or a related field and demonstrates exceptional capabilities in advancing material design research from concept to full-scale architectural realization. The role includes engaging in the Natural Materials Lab’s ongoing work on earthen and plant-based materials, while advancing fabrication, construction technologies, academic writing, grant activities, and student mentorship. This is a unique opportunity to join an established research initiative at the intersection of architecture, materials science, and environmental stewardship. For more details and application instructions, visit our website or click the link in our bio. by @naturalmaterialslab

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2 months ago

“Recent advancements in 3D printing technologies are making the use of earth materials in ways that are far more consistent.” –– Giulio Buscaroli and the WASP team.Watch the full video showcasing our production process for the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale, featuring interviews with Lola Ben-Alon and researchers Olga Beatrice Carcassi @o.carcassi and Penmai Chongtoua @senseimai of the Natural Materials Lab, as well as @3dwasp affiliates.🎥 Special thanks to Aléssandro Terranova for his beautiful videography, and to Alessandro Cecchini and the team at @yacademy_bologna, Italy, for their generous support.Project team, led by Lola Ben-Alon, Columbia GSAPP: Olga Beatrice Carcassi, Penmai Chongtoua, Keenan Bellisari @thekeenanbellisari, Christopher Tillinghast Sherman, Trella Isabel Lopez @loopsdoops, Kelechi Iheanacho @kumleche, Neil Potnis @neilpotnis, Sherry Aine Chuang Te @sherryaine, Nikoletta Zakynthinou Xanthi, and Amani Makee Hill.WASP 3D Printers served as a technical collaborator with contributions from Francesca Moretti, Massimo Moretti, Giulio Buscaroli, and others.Additional thanks to:Léonard Roussel @leo.nerd, James Nanasca @jamesandnotyou, Yonah Elorza @yonahel and the @gsappmake; Wil Srubar and Shiho Kawashima (NSF Co-PIs); and @andres_jaque for his academic and scholarly support.The 19th International Architecture Exhibition of @labiennale di Venezia is curated by @crassociati, with the Material Bank section curated by @ingridmariapaoletti of the @maba.research. by @naturalmaterialslab

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a year ago

The Earthen Rituals project by @naturalmaterialslab, currently on view at the @LaBiennale di Venezia, is a unique 3D printed earthen installation that blends vernacular wisdom with cutting-edge material science.A radically circular, fibrous, earthly mixture was developed and adapted by the Natural MaterialsLab to the WASP machines, analyzing the design, construction, operations, and afterlife ofearth-fiber assemblies in architecture.The highly fibrous mixture, composed of 30% mass and 70% volume, was printed using WASP’s HD Continuous Feeding System in combination with the WASP 3MT LDM and WASP 40100 LDM.The printed mixtures, developed at Columbia University’s Natural Materials Lab over the pastfour years, introduce surface intricacies that are fibrous like ropes, seeking to push theboundaries of digital “cleanliness.”The production occurred in New York and in the WASP facility in Italy, allowing for regionalaccountability and minimizing transportation distances.This project is currently on view at the Arsenale of the 19th International Architecture Exhibitionof @labiennale di Venezia, curated by Carlo Ratti @crassociati, as part of the Material bankspace curated by @ingridmariapaoletti of @maba.research.Led by Lola Ben-Alon, with technical collaborators @3dwasp, team members include OlgaBeatrice Carcassi @o.carcassi, Penmai Chongtoua @senseimai, Keenan Bellisari@thekeenanbellisari, Christopher Tillinghast Sherman, Trella Isabel Lopez @loopsdoops,Kelechi Iheanacho @kumleche, Neil Potnis @neilpotnis, Sherry Aine Chuang Te @sherryaine,Nikoletta Zakynthinou Xanthi, and Amani Makee Hill.Additional thanks to Léonard Roussel @leo.nerd, James Nanasca @jamesandnotyou andYonah Elorza @yonahel of Columbia GSAPP Making Studio @gsappmake, Wil Srubar andShiho Kawashima (USA NSF Research Co-PIs), Aléssandro Terranova and AlessandroCecchini of Yacademy @yacademy_bologna, Andres Jaque @andres_jaque for his academicand scholarly support, and Carlo Ratti @crassociati#3dprinting #earthenconstruction #3dprintedearth by @naturalmaterialslab

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a year ago

𝕄𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕒𝕝 𝕊𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕔𝕖 𝕀𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨”I believe the tactile experience of working with earth is transformative. When you work with these materials, there is a sense of devotion and a transcorporeal connection to the land.“ – Lola Ben-Alon, Director of the @ColumbiaGSAPP Natural Materials Lab, shares her scholarship and material design philosophy in an interview with Laura Connelly, Editor of Material Source (@materialsource).”We want to take ‘recipes’ out of the lab and into mass construction,“ Ben-Alon shares. ”We’re working on earth building codes analysis to help policy-makers understand how to permit these buildings. The future is about making the ‘dirty’ work of the lab the ‘clean’ standard for the city.“Read the full interview via the 🔗 in our bio.(1)-(2) Digital Earth Hackathon, Lola Ben-Alon with Shiho Kawashima of Columbia Engineering (@columbiaengineering)(3)-(6) Earthen Rituals, at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennial(@venice.architecture.biennale), by Lola Ben-Alon and the Natural Materials Lab. Photography by Alessandro Severi of @3dwasp and Alessandro Terranova(alessandroarielterranova) of @yacademy_bologna(7) Farm to Building, at the Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory(@columbialamontearth), by Lola Ben-Alon with Tommy Schaperkotter(8) Photo by Alessandro Terranova#NaturalMaterials #Architecture #MaterialInnovation #DigitalFabrication #EarthArchitecture by @naturalmaterialslab

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3 days ago

ℕ𝕒𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕖 ℂ𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕦𝕟𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤 | 𝔼𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕙 𝟛𝔻 ℙ𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘For thousands of years, builders have relied on earth, fibers, and naturally occurring binders to build with the ground beneath their feet. Somewhere along the way, we stopped asking why these materials worked, and started assuming industrial materials were the only path to performance.Our latest paper in ℕ𝕒𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕖 ℂ𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕦𝕟𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤 shows how biological interactions between clay, fibers, and natural bio-based binders can transform earth into a structural material for 3D printing – without cement, and without heat.This paper concludes four years of work supported by the National Science Foundation (@nsfgov) led by Lola Ben-Alon with our team at the Natural Materials Lab. This work brings together architecture, materials science, and engineering to ask a simple question: What makes earth structural? Huge congratulations to Dr. Olga Beatrice Carcassi (@o.carcassi) and thanks to our incredible collaborators Shiho Kawashima of Columbia Engineering (@columbiaengineering) and Wil Srubar of CU Boulder (@cuboulderlife) for making this work possible.@naturecommunications @naturalmaterialslab @columbiagsapp @nationalsciencefoundation by @naturalmaterialslab

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4 days ago

𝕄𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕒𝕝 𝕝𝕚𝕓𝕣𝕒𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕤 at COOKFOX ArchitectsWe’re excited to share that the Material Libraries, developed by students at @columbiagsapp, have been installed at COOKFOX Architects @cookfox.Developed through the seminar 𝕄𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕒𝕝 𝕃𝕚𝕓𝕣𝕒𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕤: 𝕍𝕒𝕣𝕚𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕕 ℂ𝕒𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕠𝕘𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕀𝕣𝕣𝕖𝕘𝕦𝕝𝕒𝕣, led by Lola Ben-Alon, the project reimagines the material library as a living archive. Students investigated how materials are sourced, classified, and understood, while questioning the systems that determine how natural materials are documented and represented within architectural practice.The installation brings together material collections spanning plant fibers, aggregates, bamboo, cork, marine biomass, paper and cellulose, rattan, and soil- and clay-based materials—creating an evolving resource for material research, education, and design practice.We are grateful to COOKFOX Architects for their collaboration and support, and to Alejandro Marín (MS.AAD ‘23) and Remon Alberts for coordinating the partnership.Special thanks to all participating students whose research and fabrication made this installation possible:Plant FiberHyeseong Kim (@s9r_ver)Nutdanai Paisantuksin (@nye9th)Xin Gao (@xg_gxin)AggregateBenny Yang (@yangyart)Yuhang QiuBambooMengxi Xin (@mengxi_xin)Angela HungCorkAmy ConnorMarine BiomassVasiliki Zochiou(@vasiliki_zochiou)Valeria RamirezPaper & CelluloseCristina Su (@cristinasuu_)Tracey Sun (@tracey_sun_)Meng-syun Sung (@woofwoooooooof)RattanSanjana Saumin Patel (@sanj__patel)Soil & Clay-BasedNatural Materials Lab – Lola Ben-Alon (@naturalmaterialslab)Cherry Zhan (@cherry_zhanyujia) by @naturalmaterialslab

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5 days ago

𝕌𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣 ℙ𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕤𝕦𝕣𝕖 | 𝔻𝕖𝕤𝕚𝕘𝕟-𝔹𝕦𝕚𝕝𝕕Can pressure become an effective binding strategy for earth, fibers, and agricultural residues to produce blocks, walls, arches, and other structural systems?The GSAPP Summer Workshop 𝕌ℕ𝔻𝔼ℝ ℙℝ𝔼𝕊𝕊𝕌ℝ𝔼: ℍ𝕀𝔾ℍ 𝕋𝔼ℂℍ, 𝕃𝕆𝕎 𝕋𝔼ℂℍ, ℕ𝕆 𝕋𝔼ℂℍ culminated in a design-build exercise using compressed earth blocks at the Gatehouse Garden, a school-community growing space in Morningside Manhattan that cultivates community while supporting growing systems and garden chickens.Part of GSAPP‘s ongoing Material Atlas, a series of small-scale material investigations, the workshop culminated in a full-scale demonstration: a modular structure composed of compressed earth blocks that offers a place to sit, gather, and dwell.Soil recovered from construction waste was used to produce the blocks. Students creatively engaged the design to address the needs of garden visitors, participants, and, importantly, the chickens, speculating on the role of pressure across high tech, low tech, and no tech contexts, including scenarios in which power outages or ecological disruptions require material systems that operate with minimal technological dependence.Workshop Participants: Kendrick Tay (@_kendricktay), Minrong Sun, Marco Andres Barrientos, Christian Carvajal (@chriscarv), Julia Qian, Inten GumilangNML Support: Cherry Yujia Zhan (@cherry_zhanyujia), Terence Ng (@ng_terence_02)Produced by: Natural Materials Lab (@naturalmaterialslab)Media Production & Design: Moon Son (@sonmoon_official) by @naturalmaterialslab

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15 days ago

𝕌𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣 ℙ𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕤𝕦𝕣𝕖 | 𝕃𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘 ℂ𝕠𝕞𝕡𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕤𝕖𝕕 𝔼𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕙 𝔹𝕝𝕠𝕔𝕜𝕤What pressing inquiries emerge for technologies of mechanical pressure in architecture? As part of the GSAPP Summer Workshop 𝕌ℕ𝔻𝔼ℝ ℙℝ𝔼𝕊𝕊𝕌ℝ𝔼: ℍ𝕀𝔾ℍ 𝕋𝔼ℂℍ, 𝕃𝕆𝕎 𝕋𝔼ℂℍ, ℕ𝕆 𝕋𝔼ℂℍ, students revisited “failed” patent records, historical archives, and case studies at the margins of machinery and architecture. The term Under Pressure reaffirms our pressing need for technological paradigms beyond the status quo.Workshop guest Lisa Morey(@lisatmorey) of Nova Terra(@novaterrausa), Colorado, led a hands-on compressed earth block-making intensive, introducing students to the principles and practices of mechanical pressure as a mode of construction along with the required structural detailing and design considerations.Workshop Participants: Kendrick Tay (@_kendricktay), Minrong Sun, Marco Andres Barrientos, Christian Carvajal (@chriscarv), Julia Qian, Inten GumilangProduced by: Natural Materials Lab (@naturalmaterialslab)Media & Design: Moon Son (@sonmoon_official)NML Support & Photo Credit: Cherry Yujia Zhan (@cherry_zhanyujia), Terence Ng (@ng_terence_02) by @naturalmaterialslab

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16 days ago

𝕌𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣 ℙ𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕤𝕦𝕣𝕖 | 𝕄𝕠𝕝𝕕 𝕄𝕒𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘Can mechanical force bind and stabilize matter through compression rather than chemical additives?The GSAPP Summer Workshop 𝕌ℕ𝔻𝔼ℝ ℙℝ𝔼𝕊𝕊𝕌ℝ𝔼: ℍ𝕀𝔾ℍ 𝕋𝔼ℂℍ, 𝕃𝕆𝕎 𝕋𝔼ℂℍ, ℕ𝕆 𝕋𝔼ℂℍ gathered students across Architecture, Urban Planning, and Critical, Curatorial & Conceptual Practices to investigate mechanical pressure as a gravitational force in brickmaking.Workshop guest Josh Jordan(@sivadbop) of Swarthmore College(@swarthmorecollege), formerly Director of GSAPP’s Making Studio, led an intensive hackathon on mold making and transitional geometries.A mold-making workshop for pressed earth, drawing lessons from geometric tessellations with stylistic, formal, and constructional intent, introduced the fundamentals of tiling symmetry and mold construction.The creative and pedagogical outcomes of the workshop guided students in developing prototypes of rudimentary geometric “machines” with reconfigurable designs, swappable parts, and opportunities for experimentation through the continual reorganization of their geometric systems.Workshop Participants: Kendrick Tay (@_kendricktay), Minrong Sun, Marco Andres Barrientos, Christian Carvajal (@chriscarv), Julia Qian, Inten GumilangNML Support: Terence Ng (@ng_terence_02), Cherry ZhanProduced by: Natural Materials Lab (@naturalmaterialslab)Media & Design: Moon Son (@sonmoon_official)Photo Credit: Cherry Yujia Zhan (@cherry_zhanyujia) by @naturalmaterialslab

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17 days ago

𝕄𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕒𝕝 𝕝𝕚𝕓𝕣𝕒𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕤 are both a spatial and intellectual infrastructure.ℝ𝕒𝕨 𝕄𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕒𝕝 𝕃𝕚𝕓𝕣𝕒𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 ℂ𝕒𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕠𝕘𝕦𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕀𝕣𝕣𝕖𝕘𝕦𝕝𝕒𝕣 is a Building Technology elective taught this spring at Columbia GSAPP. Working as a satellite of the Natural Materials Lab, the course treats cataloging as a design practice and asks how the library can become a site for ecological thinking, material literacy, and craft recognition.Over the semester, students investigated material collections as shaping forces of material power, from BASF product catalogs and the Smithsonian Mineral Sciences Collection to the INBAR Bamboo Library and the wood collection (xylarium) of Kew Royal Botanic Gardens.As a final deliverable, students focused on distinct material families, assembling physical samples, microscopic observations, fabrication experiments, and material narratives to reveal the hidden stories embedded within everyday materials. Through acts of collecting, documenting, and making, students examined questions of variance, site specificity, extraction, cultivation, and planetary lines of supply.The course culminated in a collective installation that reimagines the material library as a space for encountering open-ness, collectiveness, irregularity, environmental exchange, and the situated histories carried by matter.A huge shout out to the amazing Course students of @ColumbiaGSAPP from M.Arch, @gsapp_aad, and @historicpreservation programs:Xin Gao(@xg_gxin)Angela Hung (@huangala)Hyeseong KimNutdanai Paisantuksin(@nye9th)Sanjai PaisantuksinYuhang Qiu(@yuhangchill)Valeria Ramirez(@valeriaramirezt)Ning SuTracey Sun(@tracey_sun_)Meng-Syun SungMengxi Xin(@mengxi_xin)Yumo YangCherry Zhan(@cherry_zhanyujia)Vasiliki Zochiou(@vasiliki_zochiou)Photography by Vincent Zhang (@vincentpuzhang) by @naturalmaterialslab

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a month ago

𝕎𝕠𝕠𝕕𝕖𝕟 𝔼𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕙 is the Natural Materials Lab’s newly constructed furniture series, made of cedar finished with linseed oil according to traditional recipes by @linolie.dk, and earth plaster reinforced with hemp, straw, and additional plant fibers.A bench, a table, a chair, this series provides the strength and comfort of wood together with the warmth and sensation of earth. Wooden Earth - wood and earth - are two materials that work together and complement one another. Designed with the amazing Keenan Bellisari (@thekeenanbellisari) and Bernardo Malatesta (@buhnardo), the series will be lovingly used in our lab spaces at @columbiagsapp and @gsappmakePhotography by Vincent Pu Zhang(@vincentpuzhang) by @naturalmaterialslab

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2 months ago

Celebrating the collaboration between COOKFOX and Columbia GSAPP’s Natural Materials Lab, led by Lola Ben Alon.Over the past semester, students in Material Libraries: Variance and Cataloging the Irregular explored the material library as a living archive, investigating how materials are classified, sourced, and understood. Working with COOKFOX, they examined how geological, agricultural, and industrial histories shape the materials that enter architectural practice, while questioning who has the authority to name, catalog, and define them.Special thanks to Lola Ben Alon, the @naturalmaterialslab, @columbiagsapp all participating students, and COOKFOX. The collaboration was coordinated by @alejomrt and Remon Alberts at COOKFOX.Student credits:Plant FiberHyeseong Kim s9r_ver.2Nutdanai Paisantuksin @nye9thXin Gao @xg_gxinAggregateBenny Yang @yangyartYuhang QiuBambooMengxi Xin @mengxi_xinAngela HungCorkAmy ConnorMarine BiomassVasiliki Zochiou Valeria RamirezPaper & CelluloseCristina Su @cristinasuu_Tracey Sun @tracey_sun_Meng-syun Sung @woofwoooooooofRattanSanjana Saumin Patel @sanj__patelSoil & Clay basedNatural Material Lab - Lola Ben Alon @naturalmaterialslabCherry Zhan @cherry_zhanyujia by @naturalmaterialslab

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24 days ago