Coded Clay

Coded Clay is a newly formed, Pittsburgh-based studio that designs and fabricates 3D printed ceramic products.  Our first collection, titled Strata, consists of planters and vases in various sizes and shapes. Additionally, we offer different glaze color finishes for each design, creating a wide variety of options for customers to select from. The pieces have a unique surface texture that is integral to the fabrication process and would be difficult to achieve with any other fabrication method.

Each of our designs are first sketched by hand, then digitally modeled in the computer. We then write the g-code (a programming language) that communicates with custom 3D printers that we’ve constructed that prints each piece with a stoneware ceramic mixture. Once a piece is printed, it is then refined by hand, air dried, kiln fired, glazed by hand and fired again. Since we are not using molds, each piece is fabricated individually and while the fabrication code might be same for a given design, each piece is unique due slight material variations or imperfections from the hand work. Therefore, the process is a balance of technology and craftsmanship, which we have spent a full year refining through extensive prototyping.

Our products are fabricated locally and are designed to appeal to those interested in the blending of traditional craftsmanship and new technologies. We feel it would be a tremendous opportunity to show our work at such a high-profile event in the city alongside other exceptional local makers.