Robotic Glazing Choreography explores the integration of advanced technologies such as motion tracking, coloursensing, and robotic painting to replicate the hand gestures of traditional ceramic glazing craftsmanship.
To address global challenges, the AEC industry increasingly draws inspiration from traditional techniques, linked to territories and sustainable materials by nature. Ceramics, in particular, stand out as a material that continues to evolve alongside modern technologies while preserving time honoured fabrication methods. This enduring versatility has sparked growing interest among architects and designers, as ceramics serve diverse purposes—from objects to façade cladding, roof tiling, and floor paving. Furthermore, the combination of clay sculpting and glazing provides extensive opportunities for customisation, offering both rich materiality and lasting durability. These attributes align seamlessly with Heatherwick Studio’s Humanise campaign.
However, replicating the precision, refinement, and tactile quality of artisanal ceramic craftsmanship at an industrial scale remains a significant challenge for the construction industry. The “Robotic Glazing Choreography” workshop aims to bridge that gap by studying traditional glazing techniques—such as brushing and dropping—and translating them into a digital and robotic process, preserving the artistry while leveraging modern technology. This dual approach would provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of both methodologies and how they can coexist and complement each other.
Learning Objectives
At course completion the student will:
with Theophile Peju + Alfredo Chavez, Heatherwick Studio OBJECTIVE Ceramic tile manufacturing is a craft that requires a level of customization per client, and also replication per project. An original tile finish may be created once, replicated over thousands of tiles. In this industry, replication requires precision, refinement, tactile quality, and efficiency. This creates a … Read more
Introduction The exploration of robotic fabrication with traditional techniques has become increasingly important in the ceramic industry, opening up new possibilities for innovation, efficiency and mass production. This research, in collaboration with Heatherwick Studio, bridges traditional artistry and robotic innovation, using only a fan brush to explore creative possibilities in ceramic glazing. Design Methodology The … Read more
Introduction This project was done in collaboration with Heatherwick Studio. Our starting point was a problem that emerged when patterned ceramic tiles were deployed at scale. Specifically, factory-produced tiles create repetitive patterns, which detract from their crafted intricacy. On the other end of the spectrum, hand glazing is a highly skilled and time-consuming process that … Read more
