Vienna EU Horizon Europe — EIC Pathfinder 2024–2028

AlgoLoam

Overview

In 2023, architect Elena Vlasceanu set out to turn an idea she had nurtured for years into an EU-funded research project. With no prior experience writing such proposals, she invested months of consistent effort assembling a consortium of partners across Europe — and the proposal won an EIC Pathfinder Challenges grant under the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme (Grant Agreement 101161620). The four-year project officially began in October 2024.

The work is delivered by an interdisciplinary team of architects, material scientists, textile-technology experts, biomimetics experts, sustainability experts, mechanical engineers, loam/clay product developers, and programmers, working through collaborative, iterative processes to create critical interactions between disciplines. AlgoLoam is one of ten projects in the DigiTrio cluster on digitalisation in AEC.

Scope

OnceMore develops the computational core of AlgoLoam — software for the structural optimisation of the loam walls and the automated generation of fabrication data, so every algorithmically designed fibre layout can move directly from analysis to production.

Outcome

Self-supporting, lightweight loam walls reinforced with algorithmically generated 3D natural fibres — a fully biodegradable, recyclable construction system positioned to replace cement- and lime-based walls in low-carbon buildings.

Capabilities Applied

Algorithmic 3D fibre-reinforcement generation
Computational structural optimisation of bio-based assemblies
Design-to-fabrication pipelines for natural materials
Cross-disciplinary integration with material science and textile technology

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