Revolutionizing Landscaping: The Pebble Garden Machine

Elizabeth Teo's Innovative Approach to Dry Landscape Design

Teo's Pebble Garden Machine stands out in the realm of design due to its unique additive manufacturing process developed specifically for dry landscape design. The machine deploys coarse randomized aggregates, which are assembled by an industrial robot into three-dimensional structures. This is the first known application of 3D printing for dry landscape design and fabrication, marking a significant innovation in the field.

The sculptural artifacts created by the Pebble Garden Machine are 3D printed using an industrial robotic arm equipped with an adhesive dispenser. The process involves depositing thin layers of pebbles, commonly used for landscaping and construction, followed by binder jetting to fuse the pebbles into solid objects. The largest artifact measures between 0.2 and 0.2 m in plan, with its central feature rising vertically to 0.6 m.

The Pebble Garden Machine project began in February 2018 and was completed in November of the same year. It is currently exhibited at the Singapore University of Technology and Design. The project's research focus was on exploring contemporary methods for approaching masonry and dry landscaping, with the aim of creating a process that can produce larger objects than those possible with rapid prototyping 3D printers.

Despite the challenges encountered during the design process, such as achieving optimal binder penetration for ensuing fusion while keeping the adhesive invisible on the parts’ surface, the Pebble Garden Machine successfully creates objects that, at first glance, appear naturally situated within the rock garden heritage. However, upon closer examination, these objects trigger inquiry and imagination due to their counterintuitive geometric features such as tapering walls, cantilevering edges, and low spanning arches.

The Pebble Garden Machine's innovative approach to dry landscape design has not gone unnoticed. It was awarded Silver in the A' 3D Printed Forms and Products Design Award in 2019, a prestigious accolade given to designs that demonstrate outstanding expertise and innovation. This recognition further cements the Pebble Garden Machine's place as a groundbreaking development in the field of design.