EARTH
BLOCK

Design Doha 2026

Terraviva: The Living Brick

Concept Proposal for Design Doha Biennale 2026

“Terracotta” translates to baked earth. Terraviva reimagines this as living earth.
This project redefines the brick—not as a static, inert unit of construction, but as a dynamic, living entity. By integrating both fired and unfired earthen bricks, Terraviva explores the interplay between permanence and impermanence, structure and growth.

For the Doha Design Biennale, Terraviva will manifest as an assemblage of modular bricks and blocks, varying in size and finish. These will be stacked to form a multifaceted installation—simultaneously serving as a plinth, bench, table, and podium. Some bricks will remain dormant, others will be seeded and hydrated, initiating a process of germination and growth over the exhibition's duration. This evolving landscape will feature mosses, herbs, and desert-adapted flora, reflecting the region's ecological narratives.

The installation becomes a living sculpture, challenging traditional notions of architecture and design. It invites viewers to contemplate the temporal nature of materials, the potential for regeneration, and the interconnectedness of built environments and natural processes.

Key Themes

  • Material hybridity: Integration of fired and unfired bricks to symbolize stability and transformation.

  • Living architecture: Structures that evolve over time, blurring the line between built and natural environments.

  • Temporal design: Emphasizing processes of growth, decay, and renewal.

  • Ecological sensitivity: Utilizing plant species adapted to arid climates, highlighting sustainability.

  • Material futures: Exploring regenerative, bio-integrated building components as a response to environmental and cultural shifts.

  • Symbiosis of earth and architecture: Reclaiming a relationship between the built environment and the living ground it emerges from — where walls may sprout, and structures can breathe, grow, and decay.

Materials & Format

  • Bricks: Combination of fired (for structural integrity) and unfired (to facilitate plant growth) earthen bricks in various sizes.

  • Seeds: Incorporation of chia, basil, mosses, and desert-adapted plants.

  • Finishes: Diverse textures to support different stages of plant life and aesthetic variation.

  • Irrigation: Subtle, low-tech watering systems to sustain plant life throughout the exhibition.

Relevance to Doha

In a region characterized by rapid urban development and architectural permanence, Terraviva offers a counter-narrative—one that embraces ephemerality, growth, and ecological integration. It aligns with the biennale's themes of sustainability and innovative design, fostering a dialogue between tradition and contemporary ecological concerns.