Liberated from the labour-intensity of traditional natural building technologies, 3D-printed earthen structures are local, low-cost and efficient.

Scalable and adaptable to changing conditions, this ecological building technology enables us to rethink where and why, what and how we build.

Culture and resilience expressed in place, as vibrant 3D-printed earthen structures

Mass-customisable, culturally resonant 3D-printed earthen structures present an opportunity to develop a novel landscape-architectural language. Ochre.systems’ projects aim to contextualise and translate shared cultural intelligence as ‘resilience artefacts’.

Changing conditions

Empowers architects of resilient communities.

Affordable and scalable self-building alternative.

Integration of ecologically-productive food / waste to energy systems.

Shared cultural intelligence

Inclusive and collaborative processes.

Fosters interdependence, ingenuity and sustainability.

Mass-customisable form and surface imbuing languages of culture and resilience.

Open technologies

Fast developing material and structural performance standards to establish regulation.

In Nov., 2021, the Australian Government listed Additive Manufacturing in its ‘List of Critical Technologies in the National Interest’, aligned with national and state-based ‘Modern Manufacturing Strategies’. (CTPC, 2021)

short bio

My work in social impact began in 2005 when I helped develop Guinness’ Water of Life program in Sub-Saharan Africa, as Regional Director, Saatchi & Saatchi, London.

Following the completion of an architectural design degree, from 2009 – 2011 I led RockCorps, the pioneering, multi-award-winning pro-social production company. RockCorps designed and produced over 400 community development volunteerism projects, in partnership with over 300 charities. Across the UK over 45,000 young people were empowered to volunteer in their community, and rewarded with a ticket to a RockCorps’ produced concert featuring headliners including Lady Gaga, Snoop Dogg and P Diddy.

2012 produced spatial experiences and installations for luxury brands in the UK and France prior to relocating to Brazil. Between 2013 and 2016 faithfully restored a Sergio Bernades/ Roberto Burle Marx designed residence, and sourced and restored significant Brazilian modernist furniture and objects.

2015 learned to make and build with compressed earth blocks at India’s renowned Auroville Earth Institute (UNESCO Chair). In Italy at that moment, prototypes of 3D-printed earthen structures presented a scalable, net-zero and adaptable natural building alternative. This digitisation of earth inspired ochre.systems.

2017 relocated to the US to work with former RockCorps colleagues to help build Give To Get; a social impact strategy, design and production agency. This association continued until Covid. Whilst in the States I also took a working/research sabbatical with Pacific Domes, the pioneering commercial designers and manufacturers of geodesic structures.

2021 commenced PhD working under the supervision of international leaders in sustainability at the Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute; lead supervisor, Prof. Peter Newman AO. Relocated to Melbourne late 2023.