Ronald Rael

Ronald Rael is an American architect, visual artist, author, and educator whose work operates at the intersection of earthen architecture, additive manufacturing, social justice, and indigenous material practices. His creative endeavors blur the boundaries between architecture, art, technology, land-based practices, and social justice. Rael holds the Eva Li Memorial Chair in Architecture in the Department of Architecture in the College of Environmental Design and is a member of the art faculty in the Department of Art Practice at the University of California Berkeley. His leadership roles have included serving as department chair, director of the Masters of Architecture, and director of the Masters of Advanced Architectural Design programs.

Rael is recognized for his contributions to the revival and reimagining of earthen construction. As the founder of Muddy Robots, he explored the future of earthen architecture in his book "Earth Architecture," suggesting the use of 3D printing technologies. His work reintroduces earth as a building material to address global challenges such as climate change and housing shortages. Rael's research connects indigenous and traditional material practices to contemporary technologies and issues, and he is known for his work in additive manufacturing, borderwall studies, and earthen architecture. His exploration of mobile 3D printing with mud has been featured in installations for Desert X.

As an entrepreneur and innovator, Rael has founded and co-founded several ventures. Emerging Objects, which he co-founded, is a 3D printing make-tank specializing in architectural innovation, building components, environments, and products. He also co-founded FORUST, a startup that rematerializes wood waste via 3D printing to produce end-use products, and has advanced processes for robotic construction of raw earthen buildings. Muddy Robots pioneers the integration of traditional earthen construction with advanced robotic 3D printing, focusing on sustainable solutions to global housing and climate challenges using locally sourced materials such as mud, shells, and waste. Rael is the author of "Earth Architecture," "Borderwall as Architecture: A Manifesto for the U.S.-Mexico Boundary," and "Printing Architecture: Innovative Recipes for 3D Printing."

Rael is widely known for the "Teeter-Totter Wall" project, created with architect Virginia San Fratello. The installation connected children in the United States and Mexico via seesaws integrated into the border wall, aiming to foster unity at the border. The seesaws received the transport category and overall winner honors at the Beazley Designs of the Year awards, organized by London Design Museum, and won the International Award for Public Art. His work has been featured in documentary films produced by Museum of Modern Art, KQED in an Emmy Award-winning documentary, and The New Yorker for his humanitarian initiatives with the international aid organization Alight.

Rael's work has been recognized by leading institutions. London Design Museum awarded his practice, Rael San Fratello, the Beazley Award for design of the year. His practice was named an Emerging Voice by The Architectural League of New York. Emerging Objects received the National Design Award in the Digital Design category from Cooper Hewitt. His work is included in the permanent collections of Museum of Modern Art, Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, London Design Museum, LACMA, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and Renwick Smithsonian American Art Museum. Through teaching, writing, and experimentation, Rael demonstrates the potential of earth-based materials and technologies for sustainable and equitable architecture.