{"id":23882,"date":"2026-06-19T12:31:05","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T16:31:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/phd-in-design\/2026\/06\/19\/a-laboratory-of-wonder-and-care-exploring-the-future-of-ceramic-3d-printing\/"},"modified":"2026-07-22T22:29:07","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T02:29:07","slug":"a-laboratory-of-wonder-and-care-exploring-the-future-of-ceramic-3d-printing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/phd-in-design\/2026\/06\/19\/a-laboratory-of-wonder-and-care-exploring-the-future-of-ceramic-3d-printing\/","title":{"rendered":"A Laboratory of Wonder and Care: Exploring the Future of Ceramic 3D Printing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n

The Digital Clay Lab at NC State’s College of Design began with a simple question: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What happens when one of humanity’s oldest building materials meets some of its newest technologies?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Assistant Professor of Architecture Shawn Protz, that question became the foundation for a space dedicated to experimentation, discovery and creative risk-taking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The Digital Clay Lab started from a simple curiosity: what happens when you set one of the oldest building materials in the world next to some of the newest tools we have?” Protz said. “I think of it as a laboratory of wonder and care, a place where students can chase a question they don’t yet know the answer to.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, that curiosity is driving the work of Ph.D. student Maryam Badiei and Master of Advanced Architectural Studies graduate, now instructor, Lira Gomes. Together, they are exploring the possibilities of ceramic 3D printing, investigating how an ancient material might help shape the future of design, fabrication and the built environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most compelling discoveries in the lab, however, are not predetermined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They emerge through experimentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“When I watch Lira and Maryam work, they aren’t waiting to be told what to do,” Protz said. “They’re approaching materials and problems no one has handed them a manual for, and figuring it out by making.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That mindset is evident in both designers’ journeys to NC State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finding Design Through Different Paths<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Badiei’s path to NC State began at the University of Tehran where she earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture before spending years working in professional practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She contributed to a wide range of projects, including residential developments, healthcare facilities, historic buildings and commercial work. Yet despite the breadth of experience, she found herself searching for something deeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“At one point I thought that this is not enough,” Badiei said. “I really wanted to get deep into this.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research offered that opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\n

“I didn’t want to be just a scientist. I didn’t want to be an engineer. I wanted something that involves art. Design was the solution.”<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Raised by two chemistry professors, Badiei grew up immersed in academic environments, attending conferences and spending time on university campuses long before she became a student herself. Yet architecture appealed to her because it existed between disciplines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I didn’t want to be just a scientist. I didn’t want to be an engineer. I wanted something that involves art,” she said. “Design was the solution. It was something between art and engineering.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Gomes, design emerged through a different route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growing up, she never imagined becoming an architect. It wasn’t until high school, while building models and taking interior design classes, that she began to recognize architecture as a potential career path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Upon earning her undergraduate degree in architecture from UNC Charlotte and later her Master of Advanced Architectural Studies<\/a> at NC State, she discovered that what fascinated her most wasn’t simply creating buildings, but learning how to think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“What I enjoyed wasn’t just buildings or objects,” Gomes said. “It was the design thinking and systems approach. It was about problem-solving, critical thinking and analyzing your work over and over again.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her graduate work explored the intersection of design systems, food systems and the concept of terroir, a term often used to describe how environmental conditions shape the character of agricultural products. Along the way, she also became deeply involved in ceramic 3D printing and digital fabrication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Gomes, design is ultimately about learning how to approach unfamiliar challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“You’re not just trained to build something,” she said. “You’re trained to approach something you’ve never seen before.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning From the Material<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

That philosophy has become central to the work Badiei and Gomes now share inside the Digital Clay Lab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike conventional plastic-based 3D printing, ceramic printing demands a constant dialogue with the material itself. Every variable matters, from moisture content and clay composition to nozzle size, pressure and scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What succeeds in one print may fail completely in the next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“This is my second semester working on ceramic 3D printing,” Badiei said. “Each form, each scale has different settings. You should rethink everything.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the past several months, the pair have collaborated on dozens of custom ceramic pieces, spending countless hours experimenting with new forms and fabrication techniques.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

“We’ve been spending more than 100 hours this past month just working in the Digital Clay Lab to understand this material,” Badiei said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many of those lessons came through failure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Collapsed forms, unexpected deformations and unsuccessful prints are common parts of the process. Rather than discouraging them, those setbacks have become essential tools for learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“As the failures happen, we learn from them,” Gomes said. “Those learning moments are what got us to where we are now.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That iterative process reflects a broader philosophy within the lab itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We’re not trying to optimize clay into something slick,” Protz said. “We’re learning what it wants to do, iteration by iteration.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Badiei sees those failures as part of developing a deeper understanding of the material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“You should learn from it and not lose hope,” she said. “After maybe the hundredth iteration, you’ll find the successful settings. It gets easier because you begin to understand what works.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the Printer<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While many of the current projects exist at the scale of objects, vessels and tiles, both researchers see broader implications for their work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Badiei’s research interests lie at the intersection of digital fabrication, sustainability and architecture. One current project contributes to a university-supported arts and sciences collaboration exploring how bees perceive flowers. Through ceramic fabrication, she is helping create sculptural forms that communicate scientific concepts through design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, both she and Gomes are interested in how ceramic 3D printing might influence future architectural applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Around the world, designers are beginning to explore ceramic printing for building facades, customized construction systems and large-scale installations. Yet both researchers believe the technology should be used thoughtfully rather than simply because it exists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“When we brainstorm designs, we’re always asking if this could be made with a mold,” Badiei said. “If it can, then maybe 3D printing isn’t the right tool.”<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n \"light\n \n \n Play Video<\/title>\n \n <\/svg>\n <\/span>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Instead, they look for opportunities where digital fabrication offers something genuinely unique: customization, complexity or forms that would otherwise be difficult to produce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Gomes, one of the technology’s greatest strengths is the speed at which ideas can move between digital and physical worlds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“You get to build something digitally and then quickly see what it looks like in the real world,” she said. “You can work methodically back and forth between the hands-on, the digital and the actual print.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The process creates a continuous cycle of making, testing and refining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research That Makes a Difference<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Although their careers are at different stages, Gomes and Badiei share remarkably similar aspirations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neither is interested in creating work that remains confined to a studio or academic journal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Badiei hopes her research will help architects and designers better understand how materials, sustainability and fabrication technologies can shape future construction practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I don’t want to just write academic papers that sit on shelves,” she said. “I want to have results. I want to have an impact.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gomes imagines a future that combines teaching, research and making. She hopes to continue working in collaborative environments where designers, researchers and practitioners learn from one another while tackling complex challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The moment where we’re able to learn from each other is so crucial,” Gomes said. “That’s what produces meaningful work.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Currently, she shares that passion as an instructor at the College of Design, teaching courses in digital representation, first-year studios as well as ceramic fabrication with other professors at NC State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Protz, that collaborative spirit represents the lab at its best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The best thing that happens in the lab is that I get out of the way,” he said. “When you give people a material, a real question, and room to fail and try again, they make things I never would have thought to ask for.”<\/p>\n

This post was originally published<\/a> in College of Design Blog.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false,"raw":"\n\n\n\n\n

The Digital Clay Lab at NC State's College of Design began with a simple question: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What happens when one of humanity's oldest building materials meets some of its newest technologies?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Assistant Professor of Architecture Shawn Protz, that question became the foundation for a space dedicated to experimentation, discovery and creative risk-taking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The Digital Clay Lab started from a simple curiosity: what happens when you set one of the oldest building materials in the world next to some of the newest tools we have?\" Protz said. \"I think of it as a laboratory of wonder and care, a place where students can chase a question they don't yet know the answer to.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, that curiosity is driving the work of Ph.D. student Maryam Badiei and Master of Advanced Architectural Studies graduate, now instructor, Lira Gomes. Together, they are exploring the possibilities of ceramic 3D printing, investigating how an ancient material might help shape the future of design, fabrication and the built environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most compelling discoveries in the lab, however, are not predetermined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They emerge through experimentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"When I watch Lira and Maryam work, they aren't waiting to be told what to do,\" Protz said. \"They're approaching materials and problems no one has handed them a manual for, and figuring it out by making.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That mindset is evident in both designers' journeys to NC State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finding Design Through Different Paths<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Badiei's path to NC State began at the University of Tehran where she earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees in architecture before spending years working in professional practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She contributed to a wide range of projects, including residential developments, healthcare facilities, historic buildings and commercial work. Yet despite the breadth of experience, she found herself searching for something deeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"At one point I thought that this is not enough,\" Badiei said. \"I really wanted to get deep into this.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research offered that opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Raised by two chemistry professors, Badiei grew up immersed in academic environments, attending conferences and spending time on university campuses long before she became a student herself. Yet architecture appealed to her because it existed between disciplines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"I didn't want to be just a scientist. I didn't want to be an engineer. I wanted something that involves art,\" she said. \"Design was the solution. It was something between art and engineering.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Gomes, design emerged through a different route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growing up, she never imagined becoming an architect. It wasn't until high school, while building models and taking interior design classes, that she began to recognize architecture as a potential career path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Upon earning her undergraduate degree in architecture from UNC Charlotte and later her Master of Advanced Architectural Studies<\/a> at NC State, she discovered that what fascinated her most wasn't simply creating buildings, but learning how to think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"What I enjoyed wasn't just buildings or objects,\" Gomes said. \"It was the design thinking and systems approach. It was about problem-solving, critical thinking and analyzing your work over and over again.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her graduate work explored the intersection of design systems, food systems and the concept of terroir, a term often used to describe how environmental conditions shape the character of agricultural products. Along the way, she also became deeply involved in ceramic 3D printing and digital fabrication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Gomes, design is ultimately about learning how to approach unfamiliar challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"You're not just trained to build something,\" she said. \"You're trained to approach something you've never seen before.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning From the Material<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

That philosophy has become central to the work Badiei and Gomes now share inside the Digital Clay Lab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike conventional plastic-based 3D printing, ceramic printing demands a constant dialogue with the material itself. Every variable matters, from moisture content and clay composition to nozzle size, pressure and scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What succeeds in one print may fail completely in the next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"This is my second semester working on ceramic 3D printing,\" Badiei said. \"Each form, each scale has different settings. You should rethink everything.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the past several months, the pair have collaborated on dozens of custom ceramic pieces, spending countless hours experimenting with new forms and fabrication techniques.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\"We've been spending more than 100 hours this past month just working in the Digital Clay Lab to understand this material,\" Badiei said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many of those lessons came through failure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Collapsed forms, unexpected deformations and unsuccessful prints are common parts of the process. Rather than discouraging them, those setbacks have become essential tools for learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"As the failures happen, we learn from them,\" Gomes said. \"Those learning moments are what got us to where we are now.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That iterative process reflects a broader philosophy within the lab itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"We're not trying to optimize clay into something slick,\" Protz said. \"We're learning what it wants to do, iteration by iteration.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Badiei sees those failures as part of developing a deeper understanding of the material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"You should learn from it and not lose hope,\" she said. \"After maybe the hundredth iteration, you'll find the successful settings. It gets easier because you begin to understand what works.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the Printer<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While many of the current projects exist at the scale of objects, vessels and tiles, both researchers see broader implications for their work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Badiei's research interests lie at the intersection of digital fabrication, sustainability and architecture. One current project contributes to a university-supported arts and sciences collaboration exploring how bees perceive flowers. Through ceramic fabrication, she is helping create sculptural forms that communicate scientific concepts through design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, both she and Gomes are interested in how ceramic 3D printing might influence future architectural applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Around the world, designers are beginning to explore ceramic printing for building facades, customized construction systems and large-scale installations. Yet both researchers believe the technology should be used thoughtfully rather than simply because it exists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"When we brainstorm designs, we're always asking if this could be made with a mold,\" Badiei said. \"If it can, then maybe 3D printing isn't the right tool.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Instead, they look for opportunities where digital fabrication offers something genuinely unique: customization, complexity or forms that would otherwise be difficult to produce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Gomes, one of the technology's greatest strengths is the speed at which ideas can move between digital and physical worlds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"You get to build something digitally and then quickly see what it looks like in the real world,\" she said. \"You can work methodically back and forth between the hands-on, the digital and the actual print.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The process creates a continuous cycle of making, testing and refining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research That Makes a Difference<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Although their careers are at different stages, Gomes and Badiei share remarkably similar aspirations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neither is interested in creating work that remains confined to a studio or academic journal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Badiei hopes her research will help architects and designers better understand how materials, sustainability and fabrication technologies can shape future construction practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"I don't want to just write academic papers that sit on shelves,\" she said. \"I want to have results. I want to have an impact.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gomes imagines a future that combines teaching, research and making. She hopes to continue working in collaborative environments where designers, researchers and practitioners learn from one another while tackling complex challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The moment where we're able to learn from each other is so crucial,\" Gomes said. \"That's what produces meaningful work.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Currently, she shares that passion as an instructor at the College of Design, teaching courses in digital representation, first-year studios as well as ceramic fabrication with other professors at NC State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Protz, that collaborative spirit represents the lab at its best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The best thing that happens in the lab is that I get out of the way,\" he said. \"When you give people a material, a real question, and room to fail and try again, they make things I never would have thought to ask for.\"<\/p>\n"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Inside the College of Design’s Digital Clay Lab, Ph.D. student Maryam Badiei and instructor Lira Gomes are exploring how ceramic 3D printing can bridge ancient materials and emerging technologies. Through research, experimentation and collaboration, they’re uncovering new possibilities for design, architecture and the future of making.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":23883,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"ncstate_wire","ncst_custom_author":"","ncst_show_custom_author":false,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","ncst_content_audit_display":false,"ncst_backToTopFlag":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[5],"class_list":["post-23882","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-_from-newswire-collection-282"],"displayCategory":null,"acf":{"ncst_posts_meta_modified_date":null},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/phd-in-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23882","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/phd-in-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/phd-in-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/phd-in-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/phd-in-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23882"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/phd-in-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23882\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23890,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/phd-in-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23882\/revisions\/23890"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/phd-in-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23883"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/phd-in-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23882"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/phd-in-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23882"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/phd-in-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23882"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}