Ronald Rael (born 1971) is an American visual artist known for his work in architecture, human rights and environmental advocacy along the U.S.–Mexico border, earthen architecture, and pioneering work in developing materials for

3D printing 3D printing, or additive manufacturing, is the construction of a three-dimensional object from a CAD model or a digital 3D model. It can be done in a variety of processes in which material is deposited, joined or solidified under computer ...

Biography

Ronald Rael was born on 1971, in Conejos County, Colorado. He is a tenured full professor at the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...

where he holds the Eva Li Memorial Chair in Architecture and is Chair of the Department of Art Practice. He Chaired the Department of Architecture from 2019 to 2020 and was the first chair in both of the Departments of Latino descent. He works independently, and operates collaboratively in the design ventures Emerging Objects, a "make-tank" that develops 3D printed materials, objects, software, hardware, as well as startup companies, and Rael San Fratello, a social practice design based studio with the architect

Virginia San Fratello Virginia San Fratello (born 1971 in Savannah, Georgia) is an American artist known for 3D printing, architecture, and ceramics. She attended North Carolina State University and Columbia University. She collaborates with Ronald Rael under the n ...

. In 2020 Rael San Fratello received the prestigious Beazely Award from the London Design Museum and in 2021 the International Award for Art from the Institute for Public Art for their project Teeter Totter Wall. In 2014 Rael San Fratello received the '' Emerging Voices'' award from the

Architectural League of New York The Architectural League of New York is a non-profit organization "for creative and intellectual work in architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construct ...

. He co-founded FORUST, a 3D printing company that uses sawdust, which was acquired by the 3D printing company Desktop Metal. His collaborative work is in the collection of the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...

, the

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) is a modern art, modern and contemporary art museum and nonprofit organization located in San Francisco, California. SFMOMA was the first museum on the West Coast devoted solely to 20th-century art ...

, and The Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum. Their series, ''Bad Ombres v.2'', was acquired by the

Smithsonian American Art Museum The Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM; formerly the National Museum of American Art) is a museum in Washington, D.C., part of the Smithsonian Institution. Together with its branch museum, the Renwick Gallery, SAAM holds one of the world's lar ...

as part of the

Renwick Gallery The Renwick Gallery is a branch of the Smithsonian American Art Museum located in Washington, D.C. that displays American craft and decorative arts from the 19th to 21st century. The gallery is housed in a National Historic Landmark building that ...

's 50th Anniversary Campaign. He was educated at the

University of Colorado Boulder The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder, CU, or Colorado) is a public research university in Boulder, Colorado, United States. Founded in 1876, five months before Colorado became a state, it is the flagship university of the University o ...

and

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

. Rael is the author of several books including ''Borderwall as Architecture: A Manifesto for the U.S. - Mexico Boundary'' (University of California Press, 2017), ''Printing Architecture: Innovative Recipes for 3D Printing'' (Princeton Architectural Press, 2018) and ''Earth Architecture'' (Princeton Architectural Press, 2008). His widely viewed TED talk on ''Borderwall as Architecture'' presents a "subversive reimagining of the US-Mexico border wall."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rael, Ronald 1971 births Living people Architects from Colorado Columbia University alumni People from Conejos County, Colorado University of California, Berkeley administrators University of California, Berkeley faculty University of Colorado Boulder alumni