Architectural Ceramic Assemblies Workshop: A forum for ceramic façade solutions

The Architectural Ceramic Assemblies Workshop is a hands-on research and development workshop for design and engineering practitioners, faculty and students to explore the use of terra cotta in high-performance facade design. The collaborative R&D effort launched in 2016 under the leadership of Boston Valley Terra Cotta and the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning with support from UB’s Sustainable Manufacturing and Advanced Robotic Technologies Community of Excellence. Companies come into the workshop with actual commissions in the first stages of development. Projects advance throughout the year in collaboration with experts at Boston Valley, UB and the nearby Alfred University College of Ceramics. The research culminates every August with a “maker faire” at UB, where students troubleshoot design, fabricate components and assemble full-scale prototypes.