Loose Fit is a family of experimental ceramic building materials. Traditional uses of ceramic in construction tend towards the decorative (terra cotta moldings) or the utilitarian (bricks, ceramic roof tiles). By directly engaging with the means and methods of material production—those both in the space of the computer and on the shop floor—new formal and performative possibilities emerge.
Ceramic is a fundamentally plastic medium. Loose Fit challenges the use of clay to create blocky, regularly stacked units and instead embraces the possibilities of a liquid and organic material. The shapes develop more from production techniques (die extrusion, slip casting) than from the formal requirements of a square wall. With apologies to Louis Kahn, a brick doesn’t want to be a brick if you are casting it. The units can also be stacked or arranged in multiple ways, allowing for loose or informal configurations in additional to regularly gridded patterns. Beyond new formal possibilities, ceramic also offers distinct performance criteria: it is a durable natural material, has high insulation capacity, absorbs and distributes water when uncoated, and can shed water once glazed, allowing it to be used in interior and exterior applications.
All work was developed at the European Ceramic Workcentre (.ekwc) in Holland. A publication of the results from the residency is available on Amazon and Design 99 in Detroit.
