April 9, 2025
Ronald Rael’s Solution to the Housing Crisis? Muddy Robots
Ronald Rael has long been known for pushing the boundaries of design by combining technology with social and environmental critique—whether that be through his ongoing research on architecture at the U.S.–Mexico border or his 17 years of experimentation with 3D-printed architecture and objects. An expert in earth construction, the architect and UC Berkeley Eva Li Memorial Chair in Architecture continues this trajectory with his newest project, Muddy Robots, exploring building solutions that combine robotic additive construction and humankind’s oldest building material—earth.
Balancing Ancestral Knowledge and Artificial Intelligence
Having grown up in an adobe house built by his great-grandfather in La Florida, Colorado, Rael notes, “I come from a long tradition of earthen architecture. It’s a heritage practice for me. And so, I’m really interested in how that heritage practice is dying. We can talk about the politics, we can talk about codes, we can talk about the challenges of a dying craft, but ultimately, for me, it’s connected to culture.” Muddy Robots is a testament to how earth can be reintroduced into contemporary architecture culture through additive manufacturing, “not only for those who have been disconnected from their heritage practice, but for everyone, whether you’re from the U.K., France, Africa, or Latin America.”
For Rael, mobility and accessibility are key. Partnering with Twente Additive Manufacturing and 3D Potter, Muddy Robots features building technology that makes printing homes in challenging terrains easier, enabling the companty to build “with the land and of the land” in any location. Rael has also printed the world’s first on-site 3D-printed mud roof, using ancient Nubian vault technology. The ultimate goal of Muddy Robots is to build sustainable solutions to address the country’s housing crises rather than being a tool for individuals to self-build homes.
A New Wave for Choosing Healthy Materials
“Thinking about it through the lens of self-building is not the solution to the problem, as there’s a need for thousands of houses,” he explains. “The largest home builder in the United States produces 100,000 homes a year. And that problem compounds when they’re building 100,000 houses covered in latex paints, foams, and high-VOC materials that don’t biodegrade or are flammable. I think there’s a new way and a new approach—or, I should say, a very old approach.”
Looking forward, Rael says, “I think funding is the only thing that I need to do, because [the process] is acknowledged by building code, it’s structurally sound, the design can be great, and it works. I’m just really passionate and committed to believing that this is possible. And in some ways, it might be my last project. [We’re] just trying to make it happen.”
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