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ICE’s 3D printed cable car station is complete Construction 3D Printing

by Architecture

Last September, we told you that the Czech construction company ICE was building the world’s first 3D printed cable car station. As ambitious and possibly far-fetched as that may have seemed, that project, the highest 3D-printed building, is now complete. The cable car station, designed by ATELIER3M, combines innovative design with sustainability, this project integrates prefabrication and on-site production to create a dynamic, functional structure that harmonizes with its natural surroundings.

HOK and Pikus are building a concrete 3D printed stadium Construction 3D Printing

by Architecture

The idea that some (or all) of the houses that burnt down in the dramatic LA fires will be rebuilt in concrete, possibly using 3D printing technology, may be strengthened by the revelation that Pikus is 3D printing all the concrete seating for a stadium, working with the specialists at HOK. While the stadium benches are being printed away from the final location, this large-scale concrete 3D printing level shows that the technology is now mature enough to undertake massive projects.

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ETH Zurich team develops moisture-storing 3D printed wall components Sustainability

by Architecture

A team of civil engineers and architects from ETH Zurich is developing a sustainable dehumidification solution that could reduce the energy consumption involved in ventilating office buildings, museums and other high-traffic spaces. Instead of just relying on mechanical ventilation systems, the team has created a hygroscopic 3D printed material that can store moisture and later release it. The material in question is based on a geopolymer derived from marble quarry waste.

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GLAMS project advances 3D printed lunar regolith structures Aerospace AM

by Architecture

There has been significant interest over the years in leveraging 3D printing technologies to manufacture structures on the moon. Key to these investigations has been lunar soil, also known as lunar regolith, the layer of unconsolidated rock that covers the moon’s entire surface that is created by the recurrent impacts of meteoroids and other space particles. Lunar regolith has the potential to be made into a 3D printable construction material, which would enable astronauts to eventually build structures on the moon from local materials (dramatically minimizing the need to transport materials from Earth). One of the projects investigating the use of lunar regolith with 3D printing is Italian initiative GLAMS.

Coastruction is on a mission to save coral reefs with 3D printing Sustainability

by Architecture

With the acceleration of global warming and other factors like pollution and industrial fishing practices critically destroying and endangering coral reefs and coastal ecosystems around the globe, it has never been more critical to develop solutions that can help to restore these fragile yet incredibly diverse environments. Fortunately, there are people and organizations who have taken up this challenge and are finding creative ways to not only save coral reefs and other coastal environments, but also usher us into a more sustainable, ecologically minded future. One of these organizations is Coastruction, a Dutch startup that is leveraging its own 3D printing technology to build aquatic structures that are designed for a range of restoration purposes, like promoting coral regeneration and wave dissipation.

The Warp: a Japanese tea house made from 3D printed wood Construction 3D Printing

by Architecture

At Dubai Design Week last month, Japanese architecture firm Mitsubishi Jisho Design presented The Warp, a unique tea house installation made from recycled wood and constructed using extrusion 3D printing. The structure, which is made up of around 900 individual panels, was assembled using a traditional Japanese woodworking joinery technique, which does not require the use of any adhesives, nails or screws.