Fort Lauderdale – October 12, 2026 -- A Carnegie Mellon University School of Architecture team has won the £10,000 2026 GROHE Water Prize for terracotta facade tiles that capture fog up to 400% more efficiently than standard flat surfaces.
The award, presented by GROHE for the World Architecture Festival (WAF), went to the project "Bio-inspired Architectural Terracotta for Sustainable Water Harvesting." The team is led by Associate Professor and Lead Researcher Laura Garófalo. WAF is scheduled for November 18-20 in Fort Lauderdale.
Modular terracotta tiles pair water-attracting peaks with water-repelling channels
The system combines ceramic craftsmanship with digital fabrication and surface physics. Its design draws on leaf venation and the Namib Desert beetle. Each tile combines hydrophilic clay peaks with hydrophobic glazed channels. The project targets community water self-sufficiency in arid, fog-prone regions.
Rigid mineral material replaces plastic netting and eliminates microplastic pollution
The terracotta concept is a rigid, mineral-based alternative to traditional synthetic plastic netting. According to the source, it eliminates microplastic pollution and has a significantly smaller carbon footprint. The tiles are designed for future integration into building facades and rainscreen systems, so exterior walls could act as durable, decentralized freshwater collection systems.
Garófalo said the prize will help the team move from material experimentation toward a scalable architectural application.
Jury ties the win to WAF's 2026 "Water" theme
Paul Finch, Programme Director of WAF and a jury member, said the research has clear potential to benefit numerous regions worldwide. The project will be presented on Thursday, November 19, on the Festival Hall Stage. Patrick Speck, Leader of LIXIL Global Design, Europe & Americas, also sat on the jury.
More than 50 entries competed; three finalists named
The prize drew over 50 entries. Named finalists were:
- Projecto Vito Volcanic Catchment: an off-grid marine conservation headquarters on Fogo Island. Vaulted brick roofscapes serve as the primary rainwater and fog-harvesting system in a region without surface freshwater. Submitted by Studio Ma with NGO co-applicant Associação Projecto Vitó; lead researcher is Christiana Moss, FAIA.
- Glasgow Bath Commons: an adaptive reuse of an abandoned railway viaduct and church into a civic water commons combining rainwater harvesting, heat recovery and public bathing culture. Submitted by Lap Shing Sy.
- Lo—TEK Water: A Field Guide for TEKnology: applied research supporting the Miccosukee-ReefLine Biocultural Stewardship Corridor of Miami Beach, integrating underwater public reef infrastructure with Indigenous co-governance frameworks. Submitted by Julia Watson.
GROHE has supported the prize since 2017.