Generative Tectonics: A Dialogue Between Code and Clay

This project, set against the social backdrop of the declining traditional Japanese architectural tile industry, attempts to fuse computational design with traditional ceramic craftsmanship [Martins, 2016]. Using Houdini, we developed a pipeline that procedurally produces complex, non-repeating tile patterns and fabricates them with a custom clay 3D printer. A core innovation is our two-part color system where an AI model generates palettes from user keywords, and a web-based tool applies the Kubelka-Munk model to calculate precise glaze mixtures. This work is a critical inquiry into authorship and 'making' in the post-human era, and a deep reflection on the disappearing artisanal knowledge within Japan's architectural tile industry. The practice is a collaborative negotiation between the artist's conceptual intention, the machine's probabilistic logic, the model's scientific prediction, and the irreducible alchemy of the kiln. This approach reveals how digital technology can serve as a new paradigm for preserving and reactivating tacit knowledge inherent in traditional crafts, contributing to a "Generative Future" where heritage skills are revitalized through technological collaboration.