Climate-Responsive Bricks: Combining Ceramics and Architecture
George Rodriguez and Laurin Aman's collaborative project on view at Tyler School of Art and Architecture.
Rodriguez answered questions we had about the project which will be on view at the Tyler School of Art and Architecture’s main lobby from January 12 – February 7, 2026. Read more below.
Foster/White Gallery: Can you tell us about how you got involved with this project? How did your experience working with clay inform the project? What technologies did you and Professor Aman examine for the foundation of your research? Are there historic examples in different parts of the world that you gravitate towards? (Structural design, ornamentation, technology of cooling for example)
George Rodriguez: This project started very organically. Both Laurin and I came in as new full-time faculty in the fall of 24. We each had to give a short presentation about our practice and quickly found common interest in navigating community spaces. The project started with a very simple question; how can we move to making structures that don’t rely so heavily on HVAC systems and the use of concrete as a building material. Bricks and clay blocks have been used in many parts of the world to passively cool spaces. We then wondered if there was a way to utilize bricks to prepare for changing climates be it more water or more heat. I came with material knowledge of clay and Laurin with an architectural design background.
The artist pictured in his studio. Rodriguez has worked with clay as his medium for over two decades and his sculptures are found in collections around the world. Mexican American Gothic, the sculpture pictured above, is now in the collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C.
F/WG: How did this project evolve?
GR: The project started very methodically with small pinch bowl tests. We measured the weight of clay for each test, made identical bowls with different percentages of sand or spent coffee grounds mixed into the clay. We then tested water retention and absorption for each bowl. In the summer of 2025, we quickly moved to creating a prototype brick and hand pressing a large quantity to test out modular building. We designed the brick as a wedged shape to give us the ability to play with a curve wall or a waving straight wall. We wanted the wall to be self-supporting. The first bricks were 3D printed with a ceramic printer. We then made molds of the 3D printed bricks to hand press the larger quantity of bricks. The technology of 3D printing ceramics is improving but hand pressing proved to be faster and more accurate. The bricks also have an open core to allow for the integration of another material (filter, insulation, green material).
Rodriguez and Aman performed a series of unique material tests. Variables included clay from California (CA), Tennessee (TN), and Georgia (GA); high (2381°F), mid-range (2232°F), low (1944°F), and very low/half baked (1150°F) firing temperatures; as well as the percentage of either coffee or sand mixed into the clay.
F/WG: Did you learn anything surprising through the material tests you performed? Presuming you were testing for durability, were there aspects of the fragile nature of your materials that were beneficial?
GR: Most of our test have been for porosity and water retention. We have not tested the durability aspect yet, but the next stages will examine compression strength and durability. Through absorption and water retention tests we noticed that the clay was filtering out different minerals from the water. (We haven’t tested what those minerals are yet, but we can see evidence on the surface of the tests.) This led us to explore filtration while channeling water away from a structure, or channeling water into storage. This is also in the early stages of testing. The main takeaway from this first stage of research has been to create a clay body that can absorb and filter water in the core of the bricks (Spent Coffee) while repelling and shedding water on the exterior (Sand).
A close-up of the bricks created by Rodriguez and Aman. Flowers, found on many of Rodriguez's sculptures, adorn the exterior of the bricks as a decorative symbol of offering and care.
F/WG: Where do you see this project going next? Do you plan on integrating your findings into the work you make moving forward?
GR: This project feels like it is in the very early stages of development. It has been presented at a few architecture conferences. Laurin and I will be presenting a portion of our research in Cordoba Argentina for the SIGraDI 2025 Conference in mid-November. We are both committed to continuing this research, but I don’t know if it will directly translate into my art practice. I’m sure it will influence my thinking regarding sustainability and impact.
Students at the Tyler School of Art and Architecture were invited to explore the installation on view in the main lobby.
F/WG: What are the prime takeaways from this project people should learn?
GR: We want people to know that we can work with nature and changing climate and not against our environment. What we are exploring is using tested and sustainable, reusable, materials to form structure to adjust to changing climate and not just create an unsustainable microclimate in our homes. It’s a big pull.
A summary of the project is available on Design Philadelphia and linked below. George Rodriguez and Laurin Aman will present their research at the SIGraDI 2025 Conference in Córdoba, Argentina on Friday, November 21.