As part of a project called Lavaforming, Arnhildur Pálmadóttir is detailing how lava might be used as a sustainable construction material.

According to its developer, Lavaforming is a concept that envisions a futuristic society wherein lava is used as a construction material. The story begins with lava flowing from a volcano in the appropriate direction so that it can be used in the laying of the foundation for entire cities

“A lava flow can contain enough building material for the foundations of an entire city to rise in a matter of weeks without harmful mining and non-renewable energy generation,” Pálmadóttir said.

Under the project, Pálmadóttir proposes two possible approaches for harnessing the flowing lava, beginning with drilling boreholes to reach molten lava into the Earth’s surface. Through this method, the lava, once it begins to erupt, will be channeled through controlled pathways directly to production facilities where it will be processed into construction material.

“By drilling into a magma chamber that is slowly approaching the surface, lava is pumped up in a controlled way and extracted to reduce the underground tension in the area and at the same time the liquid lava is channeled into production stations that mold the lava into shapes and formwork for modular construction,” Pálmadóttir described.

The second approach proposes directing flowing lava into specialized 3D printers capable of holding molten lava and transforming it into layers of construction material.

While Lavaforming is still at the concept stage, Pálmadóttir suggests that using lava for future construction materials has the potential to reduce carbon emissions associated with construction activities. Further, the process could lay the foundation of a city in a matter of weeks, thereby drastically reducing the time that goes into the construction of roads and buildings.

The project will be presented at Biennale Architettura 2025, an international architecture exhibition slated to take place in Venice next year.