Instructor: Pablo Moyano Fernández, Assistant Professor in Architecture

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The construction industry in the United States has long relied on materials with relatively short lifespans—typically 30 to 50 years—often treated as disposable and ill-suited to withstand extreme weather. In contrast, concrete offers a durable, resilient alternative for long-lasting buildings and enclosures with minimal maintenance. High-performance concrete enclosures provide inherent resistance to fire, moisture, mold, insects, seismic activity, extreme weather, man-made hazards, and offer significant acoustic benefits.

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In this studio, students designed a multipurpose community hub located in the Midwest’s tornado alley, with projects specifically addressing resilience to extreme weather, particularly tornadoes. Students were challenged to propose concrete shell systems using tilt-up construction, a casting method well suited for delivering robust building envelopes in tornado-prone regions.

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The studio was conducted in collaboration with Tilt Lab, the philanthropic partner of the Tilt-Up Concrete Association, which shared expertise on tilt-up construction while supporting emerging techniques and ideas within the industry. Tilt Lab provided funding for materials and technical resources for concrete experimentation throughout the semester.

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Students were introduced to standard concrete practices alongside alternative casting methods, with an emphasis on learning through making. The design process was driven by material experimentation, mold investigations, and concrete casting, with the goal of questioning the limitations of conventional tilt-up construction and expanding students’ understanding of concrete as both a material and a construction system.

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Students: 

Cynthia Viets

Kaley LeBlanc

Kiera Sullivan

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