Block Research Group

🏆 2025 Emerging Architect of the Year: Unfold Form: Curved-crease un-foldable formwork for sustainable vaulted floors by Lotte Scheder-Bieschin, ETH Zurich, Block Research Group 🏆⁠ ⁠ Unfold Form is a lightweight, reusable formwork system that rapidly builds sustainable vaulted floors.⁠ ⁠ Curved-crease unfolding transforms bendable plywood into a self-supporting mold for casting thin, unreinforced concrete shells, reducing material use through structural geometry inspired by Gothic vaults.⁠ ⁠ Company: ETH Zurich (@ethzurich ), Block Research Group (@blockresearchgroup )⁠ Lead Designer: Lotte Scheder-Bieschin⁠ Lead Designer (Other): Lotte Scheder-Bieschin, Mark Hellrich, Tom Van Mele, Philippe Block⁠ ⁠ 📍 Location: Zurich, Switzerland⁠ ⁠ Tap the link in bio to learn more about the project. ⁠ ⁠ #bltbuiltdesignawards #bltdesignawards #bltawards #designaward #architecturaldesign

The Indlovu Floor The @blockresearchgroup at @ethzurich goes fully #circular in #SouthAfrica 🌱 We proudly present the #IndlovuFloor, a rib-stiffened discrete #funicular #shell made with #nonCrete’s @noncrete_building #unreinforced #lightweight #biomass #concrete mix, containing wood fibres from invasive alien plant species that threaten South Africa's freshwater supplies and increase the risk of wildfires. The floor was developed through a collaboration with Stephen Lamb and Andrew Lord, co-founders of #nonCrete, Cape Town based company producing low-carbon, biomass concrete mix, and as part of “Alien to Biomass Housing” project, co-funded by #CSIR’s Circular Economy Fund and #WWF’s Nedbank Green Trust, and led by Prof. Linda Godfrey. Special thanks goes to the enthusiastic One Nil team for their help throughout the project. Compared to conventional concrete, nonCrete mixes use fewer scarce resources (sand and conventional aggregates), instead incorporate local, #renewable biomass, are 55% to 65% lighter, with carbon permanently sequestered within the biomass. The mixes show excellent thermal insulation and fire resistance properties. The result is a structural system that embodies BRG's principles of #StrengthThroughGeometry and material efficiency, with the potential to revolutionise current building practices in South Africa while also creating local job opportunities. Indlovu floor is now on fast track towards full building #certification. More on this project and full credits https://brg.ethz.ch/research/prototypes/846 Images: nonCrete Stephen Lamb #IndlovuFloor #BlockResearchGroup #nonCrete #CSIR #WWF #ETHZurich #StrengthThroughGeometry #MaterialEfficiency #SustainableConstruction #Funicular #Shell #Biomass #Concrete #Architecture #Engineering

A new type of concrete #Ceiling construction, developed by a doctoral student in #Architecture at ETH Zurich, is not only more sustainable to produce, but also #Reusable.

Unfold Form: Curved-crease un-foldable formwork for sustainable vaulted floors Unfold Form is the first construction system to use curved-crease unfolding as a formwork for constructing sustainable fan-vaulted floors in unreinforced concrete. 💡 The Unfold-ing Form-work offers a lightweight and reusable alternative to traditional in-situ formworks, making it a groundbreaking solution for reducing construction waste and embodied carbon. Developed as part of Lotte Scheder-Bieschin’s PhD research at the Block Research Group @blockresearchgroup at ETH Zurich @ethzurich , this system merges low-tech fabrication with sophisticated structural geometry for sustainable construction. 🌱🏗️ 🔗 Tap the link in our bio to discover more and watch the full project video ▶️ Project Team: Lotte Scheder-Bieschin @lotti__lotte , Mark Hellrich @markhellrich , Tom Van Mele, Philippe Block @philippe_block #ETHZurich #BlockResearchGroup #CurvedCreaseFolding #ActiveBending #BendingActive #Formwork #SustainableConstruction #StrengthThroughGeometry #Architecture #Engineering #UnfoldForm #CarbonReduction #Innovation #ParametricDesign

Unfold Form: Curved-crease un-foldable formwork for sustainable vaulted floors Unfold Form is the first construction system to use curved-crease unfolding as a formwork for constructing sustainable fan-vaulted floors in unreinforced concrete. 💡 The Unfold-ing Form-work offers a lightweight and reusable alternative to traditional in-situ formworks, making it a groundbreaking solution for reducing construction waste and embodied carbon. Developed as part of Lotte Scheder-Bieschin’s PhD research at the Block Research Group @blockresearchgroup at ETH Zurich @ethzurich , this system merges low-tech fabrication with sophisticated structural geometry for sustainable construction. 🌱🏗️ Unfold Form’s compact design allowed for its easy transport in a surfboard bag to South Africa. Rapidly assembled, it was reused by our partners NonCrete @noncrete_building noncrete_building using bio-based concrete alternative as a mockup for sustainable, dignified housing. The Un-fold Form-work is not dependent on high-tech fabrication facilities and skilled labour, making it globally applicable, particularly in developing regions where demand for new floor area is the highest 🌍. NonCrete noncrete_building developed a bio-concrete through the upgrading of chipped alien invasive vegetation, replacing conventional aggregates. This innovative use of biomass in construction offers significant carbon sequestration opportunities and the potential to create large-scale work opportunities within the development of ecological infrastructure. 🔗 Tap the link in our bio to discover more and watch the full project video ▶️ Project Team BRG: Lotte Scheder-Bieschin @lotti__lotte , Mark Hellrich @markhellrich , Tom Van Mele, Philippe Block @philippe_block Project Team NonCrete: Stephen Lamb, Andrew Lord, Grabeth Nduna, Peter Mafuwe, Jackson Ojesi, Philani Kuze, Andria Sakhama noncrete_building Images: NonCrete Stephen Lamb @noncrete_building #ETHZurich #BlockResearchGroup #NonCrete #CurvedCreaseFolding #ActiveBending #BendingActive #Formwork #SustainableConstruction #StrengthThroughGeometry #Architecture #Engineering #UnfoldForm #CarbonReduction #DignifiedHousing

Unfold Form: Curved-crease un-foldable formwork for sustainable vaulted floors Unfold Form is the first construction system to use curved-crease unfolding as a formwork for constructing sustainable fan-vaulted floors in unreinforced concrete. 💡 The Unfold-ing Form-work offers a lightweight and reusable alternative to traditional in-situ formworks, making it a groundbreaking solution for reducing construction waste and embodied carbon. Developed as part of Lotte Scheder-Bieschin’s PhD research at the Block Research Group @blockresearchgroup at ETH Zurich @ethzurich , this system merges low-tech fabrication with sophisticated structural geometry for sustainable construction. 🌱🏗️ The Unfold Form floor obtains its stiffness from its structural geometry 💪, utilising a thin, corrugated, fan-vaulted shell in unreinforced concrete, inspired by Gothic vaulted masterpieces. Subject to low compressive stresses mainly, it significantly reduces the amount of concrete required, and entirely eliminates the need for embedded reinforcement steel. 🔗 Tap the link in our bio to discover more and watch the full project video ▶️ Project Team: Lotte Scheder-Bieschin @lotti__lotte , Mark Hellrich @markhellrich , Tom Van Mele, Philippe Block @philippe_block Images: Andrei Jipa @substantiall , Lotte Scheder-Bieschin @lotti__lotte #ETHZurich #BlockResearchGroup #CurvedCreaseFolding #ActiveBending #BendingActive #Formwork #SustainableConstruction #StrengthThroughGeometry #Architecture #Engineering #UnfoldForm #CarbonReduction #Innovation #ParametricDesign

Unfold Form: Curved-crease un-foldable formwork for sustainable vaulted floors Unfold Form is the first construction system to use curved-crease unfolding as a formwork for constructing sustainable fan-vaulted floors in unreinforced concrete. 💡 The Unfold-ing Form-work offers a lightweight and reusable alternative to traditional in-situ formworks, making it a groundbreaking solution for reducing construction waste and embodied carbon. Developed as part of Lotte Scheder-Bieschin’s PhD research at the Block Research Group @blockresearchgroup at ETH Zurich @ethzurich , this system merges low-tech fabrication with sophisticated structural geometry for sustainable construction. 🌱🏗️ Bending-active plates connected with curved textile hinges unfold like a fan into a self-supporting formwork – weighing only 24 kg and supporting 1000 kg of concrete. Its intelligence is embedded in the geometric principle, so its fabrication and deployment are intuitive, rapid, and straightforward. ✨ Achieving strength through geometry and sustainability through simplicity! 🔗 Tap the link in our bio to discover more and watch the full project video ▶️ Project Team: Lotte Scheder-Bieschin @lotti__lotte , Mark Hellrich @markhellrich , Tom Van Mele, Philippe Block @philippe_block Images: Lotte Scheder-Bieschin @lotti__lotte #ETHZurich #BlockResearchGroup #CurvedCreaseFolding #ActiveBending #BendingActive #Formwork #SustainableConstruction #StrengthThroughGeometry #Architecture #Engineering #UnfoldForm #CarbonReduction #Innovation #ParametricDesign

🌉 A bridge is reborn! The Phoenix Bridge, designed by @zahahadidarchitects and engineered by @ethzurich @blockresearchgroup , reuses 10 tonnes of material from the Striatus Bridge, the first iteration of the research project, which was unveiled at the 2021 Venice Architecture Biennale. 🏗️ The new bridge consists of hollow blocks that have been 3D-printed by @incremental3d.eu , and assembled on site. Designed to stand solely through compression, the Phoenix can be easily disassembled, and the lack of steel reinforcements makes recycling its material components even easier. Thanks to its design and engineering, the Phoenix already uses 50% less concrete than a conventional crossing. 🔗 As the world’s cities grow, Holcim is collaborating with innovative architects and engineers to explore more circular ways to build our infrastructure. #PhoenixBridge #ZahaHadidArchitects #ZahaHadid #ArchitecturalDesign #Architecture #Concrete #ConcreteBuilding #Bridge 📷© Block Research Group, Incremental 3D, Vincent Delesvaux

PATALKS #66 with Philippe Block has just been released! ✨🎙 Join us for an inspiring episode featuring Philippe Block (@philippe_block ), a professor and the head of the Institute of Technology in Architecture at @ethzurich . He also co-leads the Block Research Group (@blockresearchgroup ) with Dr. Tom Van Mele, focusing on innovation, computational design, 3D printing, fabrication, and construction of sustainable structures while minimizing construction waste. Our conversation covers topics such as their projects, the future of computational design, 3D fabrication, engineering, and teaching methodologies. Projects above: Striatus Bridge with @zahahadidarchitects KnitNervi KnitCandela with @zahahadidarchitects MycoTree for Seoul Biennale NEST HiLo roof Beyond Bending for Venice Architecture Biennale Watch the full episode of @pa__talks on our YouTube channel. Tap the 🔗 link in our bio. Also, you can listen on all available podcast platforms, such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts. #parametricarchitecture #ethzurich #computationaldesign #philippebock #technology #podcast

Introducing VAULTED AG, a spin-off of @blockresearchgroup @ethzurich , founded to commercialise the Rippmann Floor System (RFS), an ultra-low-carbon, fully circular structural floor in concrete. #strengththroughgeometry #vaulted #vaultedfloors #rippmannfloorsystem #ethzurich #ethspinoff #blockresearchgroup @eth_entrepreneurship #digitalconcrete #concreteinnovation #constructioninnovation #concrete #sustainableconcrete #recycled #recycledaggregates #shellstructures #construction #architecture #engineering #computation #structures #structuralengineering #appliedresearch #sustainability #carbonemissions #sustainableconstruction #circularity #circularconstruction #concretestructures #swissengineering

Striatus 2.0: Phoenix is a permanent arched, unreinforced masonry footbridge composed of 3D-printed concrete blocks assembled without mortar or reinforcement. It was built in the Holcim Innovation Centre in 2023 in Lyon, France. This project was developed by the Block Research Group at ETH Zurich, Zaha Hadid Architects Computation and Design Group, incremental3D and Holcim. To enhance assembly precision while minimising single-use falsework components, the assembly logic of Phoenix was entirely reworked, integrating a timber waffle structure with standard reusable, off-the-shelf steel beams to minimise the volume of single-use timber elements. The assembly followed a predefined sequence to control the fabrication tolerances and assembly imprecisions. Project Teams @ethzurich , BRG: @alessandrodellendice @serbanbodea @v_aloutsa Tom Van Mele @philippe_block @zhcode : @jianfei_chu @vishubhooshan @henrydavidlouth @heba_eiz @thiijong @shajay_ @schumacher.patrik @incremental3d.eu : Johannes Megens @sndr.sn @holcim.ltd #Strengththroughgeometry #3DConcretePrinting #SustainableConstruction #Circularity #Innovation #Architecture #Engineering #DigitalConcrete #UnreinforcedMasonry #3DPrinting #Striatus2Phoenix #BlockResearchGroup #ETHZurich

Striatus 2.0: Phoenix is a permanent, arched, unreinforced masonry footbridge composed of 3D-printed concrete blocks assembled without mortar or reinforcement. It was built in the Holcim Innovation Centre in 2023 in Lyon, France. This project was developed by the Block Research Group at ETH Zurich, Zaha Hadid Architects Computation and Design Group, incremental3D and Holcim. Phoenix represents a step forward in the realisation of circular construction with concrete. As an iteration of the Striatus bridge built in Venice, Italy, in 2021, Phoenix shows a significant advancement in the application of unreinforced masonry structural logic to 3D concrete printing, mainly on circularity, environmental impact reduction, and structural robustness aspects. Project Teams @ETHZurich , @blockresearchgroup : @alessandrodellendice @serbanbodea @v_aloutsa Tom Van Mele @philippe_block @zhcode : @jianfei_chu @vishubhooshan @henrydavidlouth @heba_eiz @thiijong @shajay_ @schumacher.patrik @incremental3d.eu : Johannes Megens @sndr.sn @holcim.ltd #StrengthThroughGeometry #3DConcretePrinting #SustainableConstruction #Circularity #Innovation #Architecture #Engineering #DigitalConcrete #UnreinforcedMasonry #3DPrinting #Striatus2Phoenix #BlockResearchGroup #ETHZurich