The Earth Bound

Personal Info

Name: Yang Tian

Nationality: China

Institution / Company: Yale School of Architecture

Instagram: yanger3016

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/yangtian3016

-HONOURABLE MENTION of Non Architecture Award 2022 Competition | Category: Architecture & Interiors

Observing the form & materiality of this slowly formed landscape, The excavation and use of clay for architecture and art practice have long been a tradition in Montana. The river brings sediment from Yellowstone, and clay sediment accumulates near the bottom. Red lodge valley starts from the edge of Mt. Rearguard, this fertile valley not only becomes an ideal place for farming, but also a site for clay excavation. Because of this soil condition, red lodge becomes a hub for clay artists to use local clay for ceramic art, ceramic artists come here every year from all over the world.

The project is to create an Art studio and residency complex for ceramic artists to stay in Red lodge for a year. First, I stitched Kiln, studio, and home into 36 architectural segments in different orders. The second step was to define an ordering system based on the north South direction and should speak to the pixelated land by an abstract grid. Finally, in between each roll, the excavation of public courtyards hosts annual exhibitions and public gatherings. As the result, this complex takes one unit of its land and further divide it into smaller fragments of 36 that takes a similar space logic but in different forms to provide dynamics within the grid system.

Project Type:

Residential & Art Studio

Jury Comments

– Rebel Architette

The design introduces a contemporary urban approach to clay ceramics’ strength and aesthetic appeal, blending craftsmanship, design and urban planning. This approach revitalizes an age-old tradition, creating new homes with an earthy feel for artists and citizens alike. Reviving an ancient tradition, the proposal transforms it into fresh, earthy dwellings that are made available to artists and citizens.