Collaborators:
Jess A. Rivera (MDes) & Luis Arturo Gomez (MArch II)

Weaving Waste into Structure

P2 is a facade and custom cladding project that reimagines demolition waste through sustainable fabrication and cultural storytelling. Centered on circular material practices, we transformed irregular drywall collected to mimic post-demolition refuse into a performative architectural surface. Guided by our shared indigenous Mexican heritage, the project draws inspiration from traditional weaving patterns and the sun-scorched texture of Serenoa repens thatch roofing to embed ancestral knowledge into contemporary design.The structural frame was custom-built using the Howick roll-forming machine at the Autodesk Technology Center, precisely assembled to support the cut-to-fit reclaimed drywall. Each drywall piece was documented, optimized for minimal waste, and processed using CNC and the Zund digital cutter, with additional construction support provided by the Harvard GSD’s fabrication robot to assist in precise assembly and placement. Overlaying this physical layer, we projected generative digital mesh textures inspired by indigenous weaving—an interactive projection mapping system that responds to human presence. As viewers approached, the digital fibers visually intensified, weaving themselves more densely into a luminous skin that symbolized the weaving of social, material, and digital networks. Material explorations included flax fibers, hemp rope, sheet lamination, 3D-printed PLA, CNC-milled wood panels, and layered composites—each technique allowing for tolerance-responsive cladding that embraced the irregularities of the reclaimed surface. Robotic fabrication, 3D printing, and laser cutting supported the panel's intricate detailing and modular assembly logic. The result is a cladded wall system that is not only materially and structurally innovative but also culturally effective, honoring indigenous craft through the lens of future-making. This work exists at the intersection of sustainability, memory, and interactive media sculptures, presenting a design methodology where ancestral knowledge, technological processes, and waste become building blocks for restorative design.