Therma Testa

Each material used in future dwellings will be selected and designed to be an active player, both functionally and aesthetically. This is the vision of Therma Testa: Tilework Membranes, which uses experiments and simulations to work up new architectural concepts by selecting, organising and shaping materials in relation to one another.

This is exemplified by bricks and tiles which have enormous potential as modular building systems. The project studies how tiles can serve as thermally active membranes that store and pass on heat, such as from bathrooms to adjoining rooms, without transferring moisture.

The tiles combine raw red clay and azurite in an uncompromising form which unites function and aesthetics. The project points towards a future in which dwellings are not structured around thermal barriers. Instead, the architecture supports an active thermal system that makes the dwelling healthy and pleasant to live in without depleting the planet’s resources.