3D printing has made a lot of progress in the past year and the applications keep on increasing. The trend of 3D printed buildings is increasing as well. The latest news comes from engineering firm Arup and CLS Architetti. They are collaborating on the first 3D-printed concrete house in the European Union. The project is named 3D Housing 05 and is aimed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the new technology.
This prototype home is being built in Milan’s central square, Piazza Cesare Beccaria. It will be unveiled officially during the Salone Del Mobile in April. It follows the basic principles of 3D printed architecture and extrudes a cement mixture from a nozzle to build the walls. 3D Housing 05 also makes use of a robotic manipulator mounted on a movable base for increased flexibility.
The humans are required to finish off the roof, windows, and doors after the machine has completed its work. Arup has stated that they hope to automate this part in the future as well. This project is much larger and much more complex than 3D printed houses built before.
It will comprise of 100 sqm of floorspace laid out on a single level. This includes a living area, bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom. It is designed in such a way that it can be easily disassembled so once the design week is over, it can be broken down and installed somewhere else.
The actual cost of the project is not known but Arup has said that the cost will be much lower as compared to a house of same size and type constructed using conventional means. Furthermore, the printing process only took 48 hours. This method can produce projects quicker and with less waste, using less money and with more precision than before.
“The construction industry is one of the world’s biggest users of resources and emitters of CO2,” says Guglielmo Carra, Europe Materials Consulting Lead at Arup. “We want to bring a paradigm shift in the way the construction industry operates and believe that 3D printing technology is critical to making buildings more sustainable and efficient. It creates less waste during construction and materials can be repurposed and reused at the end of their life.”
