NATURE'S RETRIBUTION

Project Duration: 5 Weeks

Spring Semester 2026

Focused primarily on researching organic forms and how they could be incorporated into a chess set using concrete made with moss.

Formal Inspiration

Adaptive, conceptual design

Design a chess set that explores the intersection of man-made infrastructure and nature’s persistence.

The concept uses living moss and porous hypertufa to visualize the plant life cycle, evolving from the pawns to the queen.

By ending with the king as a symbol of pollution, the set serves as a critical commentary on how human power disrupts

natural cycles and leads to environmental collapse.

Sketching

Started putting ideas on the page and explored how

real plant life could be incorporated into the design

Clay Model Making

Using sulfur-based plastolina to sculpt each form by hand and by using sculpting tools. Experimented with copper wire as rebar to support the concrete as it sets.

3D Scanning and Fusion Render

3D scanned each piece to obtain a .stl file for each chess piece, then rendered each piece before starting final cast.

After fusion model was complete, the final render was finished with gen A.I. in photoshop.

Material Exploration

Tested different ratios for Hypertufa concrete using portland cement, peat moss, and perlite. Started

growing fresh live moss in a miniature locker greenhouse.

Mold-Making and Casting

Each plastolina chess piece was set in a paper cup while silicone was poured over. Once the silicone dried, the plastolina pieces were extracted and the hypertufa concrete mix was poured

Planting the Moss

The moss was planted into the crevices of each piece, using a soil and sugar-water mixture as a natural glue to adhere the plant life