Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
Architecture
Architectural models are being 3D printed since quite a few years back and successful archi-
tectural design projects include: “Digital Grotesque” by Michael Hansmeyer and Benjam-
in Dillenburger; a complete room covered by 3D printed decoration looking like a cathed-
ral; the Echoviren Pavilion by Bryan Allen and Stephanie Smith; a 3D printed architectur-
al structure placed in a redwood forest. Actual 3D printing of houses is a future possibility
which is maybe more exiting and interesting. Concrete 3D printing enables complex shapes
and structures. Wiring and piping may be included in the printed sections. Whole houses
can be built by concrete printing robots on rails. Construction systems with building blocks
like a giant Lego is in an interesting concept. Insulation might also be enhanced through 3D
printing.
Projects with printing of whole houses have occurred all around the globe: in Italy, the Neth-
erlands, USA and China. Contour Crafting (CC) is a technology developed by Dr. Behrokh
Khoshnevis of University of Southern California. CC consists of a robot with a nozzle that
deposits concrete according to the cad-drawing. The robot is attached to a structure which
runs on two rails. In 2014 the Dutch company Heijmans started the construction of a 3D
printed Canal House in Amsterdam, in this project pieces of the house were printed separ-
ately with a polymer based material.
A film called “The Man Who Prints Houses” had its premiere in 2012. It follows Enrico
Dini: an Italian inventor who developed the first large “house-printer” called “D-shape”. The
D-shape operates by straining a binder on a sand layer. Enrico Dini has an UK-based com-
pany called Monolite. Monolite has cooperated with the European Space Agency in a pro-
ject that would enable construction of houses on the moon. The D-shape is also being used
for reconstruction of coral reefs and for prevention of coastal erosion. The building material
for the reefs is collected by dredging sand and sludge from the seabed along the coast
In 2014 a Chinese company, Winsun Decoration Design Engineering Co., Ltd, showcased
ten 3D printed houses built of construction and industrial waste material. The biggest of
these houses was 10 meters long, 6 meters wide and 4 meters tall.
Another project that shows the possibilities of 3D printing in architecture and construction
is “Helico”. Helico was created by UK architects Richard Beckett and Sam Welham and
consists of ornate 3D printed tiles, 5 to 25 cm in depth, which are combined together in a
decorative way. This system is intended both for interior or exterior architectural surfaces.
The tiles are made in a sand material.
