The Dripworks | Berlin, Germany | Unit 21 | 2025

The Dripworks is a design project set in YangMing National Park, Taiwan, where geothermal activity, mineral accumulation, and dense atmospheric conditions shape both the physical landscape and cultural identity. This project re-imagines geothermal infrastructure as more than an energy system, it becomes an architectural generator, shaped by environmental data over time.

Stones and Leaves: Scattered Across the Slope The building is conceived as a composition of leaves and stones, an interplay between grounded mass and lightness. Stone volumes are loosely scattered across the hillside, anchoring the architecture, while the roof structures rest atop stone forms.

A Game of Erosion and Growth An interactive design tool was developed to simulate real-time environmental feedback within a virtual building. Users can move freely, place blocks, redirect water, and observe the resulting impacts on erosion, planting, and mineral deposition.

Designing Form with Solar Data The design begins with slope and water flow analyses to identify optimal aggregation zones. The refined form becomes the basis for façade aggregation, using 1.5m stone blocks optimised via computer scripting to reduce self-shading.

LoRA Model Training for Material Simulation A series of LoRA models were trained to generate images representing four types of mineral deposition, using carbonate deposition. Training data was organized by surface roughness and deposition intensity, forming a gradient of accumulation.

Designing with Deposition A sandstone cliff was 3D scanned to analyse water flow, revealing zones of retention and runoff. This data informed the design of a pavilion and sculptural element, with stone volumes carved to guide water through their forms.