3D PRINTING WITH CLAY
A five-day course: build a 3D-printed clay wall with a robot
Clay is coming back as a building material, and 3D printing gives it a new form. In this course you build a 3D-printed clay wall with a robot and learn the whole process, from the material and the mix to the finished wall.
3D-printed clay has a modern look, a layered surface and a very good indoor climate. In this course you learn where it fits today, in new buildings and in renovation: as a load-bearing or non-load-bearing wall, as a design element, or as thermal mass for wall heating. Most of the time you work with your own hands: you prepare the clay, make the mixes, work with the robot and print a wall together.
What you learn
Clay as a material: its properties and simple hand tests
Mixes for 3D printing: grain structure, additives and what makes a good mix
Tools and machines, and what decides the quality of the surface and the printed layer
Safety: working with robots and at height
The course
Theory, hands-on work and talks, step by step from the mix to the finished wall. A 6-axis robot on site is something rare in clay building.
Video intro
In the week before the course (week 34) you get a video introduction to the topic.
Material & mix
Prepare the clay, make suitable mixes for printing and test them.
Robot & print
Set up a robotic workspace, work safely with the robot, and plan and print clay elements layer by layer.
The wall
Build a 3D-printed clay wall together on site, with its structural and design details.
Excursions
Visit the clay houses of the Wangeliner Garten and the clay museum in Gnevsdorf.
What you take away
- 01A clay wall you printed yourself, with a robot
- 02The basics to plan simple clay constructions, judge mixes and do the typical steps safely
- 03A script with a reading list
- 04A certificate of participation
Craftspeople, architects, engineers and self-builders who want to learn 3D printing with clay. Experience with clay helps, but you don't need it.
Hendrik Benz (RWTH Aachen) from the CTRL board and Leonie Gleiser (TU Dresden). The Europäische Bildungsstätte für Lehmbau Wangelin runs the course.
Book your spot
Booking and payment go through the Europäische Bildungsstätte für Lehmbau Wangelin, which runs the course. The button opens their booking page.
- When
- Mon 30 Aug 2027, 09:00 – Fri 3 Sep 2027, 17:00
- Where
- Europäische Bildungsstätte für Lehmbau Wangelin, Dorfstraße 27, 19395 Ganzlin OT Wangelin
- Course leads
- Hendrik Benz (RWTH Aachen, CTRL), Leonie Gleiser (TU Dresden)
- Cost
- €1,055 course fee + €210 meals (incl. VAT)
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner on course days; the last day ends with afternoon coffee
- Early-bird price
- until 1 June 2027
- Book by
- 2 August 2027
- Size
- 14 places, at least 9 participants · 40 hours + a video intro the week before