3D Printed Architecture
Shane Fitzpatrick
http://3dprintcanalhouse.com
https://distilleryimage2.s3.amazonaws.com/a7515070b6a011e3b6b9126ca48ad1ba_8.jpg
The 3D Print Canal House is printed with the KamerMaker. KamerMaker means ‘RoomBuilder’ and that instantly gives away how the 3D Print Canal House will be build. The house design consists of several room types, which are assemled digtially and converted into onse strucutral design
Each room is printed separately on site before being assembled into one house. This way the rooms can be carefully tested in a safe and easy accessible manner. Each room is different and consists of complex and tailormade architecture and unique design features. The structure is scripted and this creates its proper strength but also generates ornament, and allows for new types of smart features, such as angled shading scripted to the exact solar angle. Each printed room consists of several parts, which are joined together as large Lego-like blocks. Both the outside façade as the interior are printed at once, in one element. Within the 3D printed walls are spares for connecting construction, cables, pipes, communication technique, wiring etc.
The rooms themselves are entirely structurally sound. In the second phase of the project, the separate rooms are assembled into connected floors, and then stacked into the entire house. Added advantage is that the rooms can fairly easy be disconnected in case the house needs to be relocated.
The main facade of the 3D Print Canal House has an extra special character as it showcases how the 3D-print technique develops. The ground floor has modest ornament: As the 3D printtechnique develops and the number of building elements grows also the level of experiment in ornament rises, which is expressed in the most richly decorated part of the façade: The stepgable.
The structural aspects are tested both digitally and on site in collaboration with the structural engineers of Tentech. The construction is based on a structural extruded printed grid that can take several shapes. Folds in the structure generate strenght, so the level of ornaments enhances the construction. Each printed element consists of numerous diagonal hollow collumns.When the elements are mounted together the hollow collumns create large structural crosses that support the entire structure.
When I was researching potential 3D printed buildings last year, theirs seemed the most realistic and likely so I'm glad to see it coming together. I'm really hoping to get over there during the summer for a few days and take a look. It's not quite the pure 3D printed house first envisioned as I gather that they will be filling some of the printed elements with concrete but this is a pretty amazing project nonetheless.