Berlin Fellowship 2019 — Architecture
Eric Le Méné
*1988 in Suresnes (FR)
lives in Paris (FR)
Vita
Eric Le Méné is an inventor, somewhere between the plastic arts, making and pure research. He holds architecture and civil engineering degrees from École nationale supérieure d'architecture in Paris-Malaquais and École spéciale des travaux publics du bâtiment et de l'industrie in Paris. He runs a Research and Development start-up that focuses on energy preservation, ecological housing and natural comfort. His interests include implementing broad technologies in the field of architecture. These could potentially benefit from topological optimisation. Therefore, he created a 3D sand formworks printer to use for concrete casting. It aims to mimic bio-structures in manmade structures, bringing the best of both natural genius and human discoveries into architecture and living.
Residency
“The residency will help Le Molding—the 3D sand formworks printer—to reach a broader level. The beginnings were a small-scale, low-budget, student-made, functioning proof of concept for 3D concrete casting. The research will examine several aspects: defining a large scale and how to achieve it, and thinking about the implications of a 3D cast structure. What impact would parametric design have on the architect's working process, on the construction reality and on the way people experience new architecture? What changes will biomimicry's shape register, for example curved structures, bring to future buildings? Is there a use for this?”