About The Boston Valley ARCH Design Lab

Boston Valley Terra Cotta’s ARCH Design Lab exists to allow architects to produce custom terra cotta projects at, or near, catalog mass produced cost.  We use 3d parametric CAD/CAM technologies to deliver on the promise of “mass customization” in architectural fabrication.

Ideally the workflow begins early in the design process by exchanging 3D drawings. From the start, our experienced team of modelers, mold makers, extrusion designers and operators, detailers, color and glaze experts, are thinking, “design for manufacturability”. Together, we work with the architect to maximize the sculptural qualities of Terra Cotta while keeping it at a realistic cost.

In addition to all the time honored tools of the trade, we use a laser cutter, a huge 5 axis CNC machine and a complete suite of architectural and digital sculpting programs to make custom exterior and interior panels, as well as architectural sculpture. This makes for a seamless and efficient workflow from CAD to FAB. You (and your clients) can quickly see produced mock ups as well as full scale prototypes that will be completely true to the product delivered to the site. Our color and glaze lab is the best in the business, and thanks to our award winning restoration group, we have craftspeople that can actually hand paint and glaze special projects.

Over the past 30 years, Boston Valley Terra Cotta has been privileged to work with world class architectural firms. Since late 2012, the Digital Lab has worked on stunning new projects for Machado and Silvetti and Michael Chen Architects, as well as major restorations of an historic NYC townhouse, and the Alberta capital dome.

This blog is a working record of these ongoing projects.  Let’s work together to bring your vision to reality. Contact us via phone or email or better yet, send us a drawing so we have something to discuss.