The Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland (moCa) is showcasing a new exhibit, A PLACE meant, which uses elements of large-scale construction 3D printing courtesy of New Jersey company Black Buffalo in an effort to showcase new and efficient methods of tackling displacement and affordable housing challenges in Cleveland. The exhibit is a joint effort from I_You Design Lab, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit collective made up of artists, makers, and designers, and Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry (LMM).
According to organizers, the exhibit “explores innovations in affordable housing at the nexus of environmental responsibility, energy efficiency, and contemporary design.” It does this by exhibiting examples (photographs and physical samples) of accessible housing approaches around the world. These housing types include modular housing that can be constructed with limited tools, container homes made from existing vessels, and 3D printed homes with very short fabrication times. The exhibition also has a local slant, exploring the history of housing in Cleveland and its potential future using these modern techniques.
Manufacturing on Demand
Black Buffalo construction 3D printer at work
New Jersey’s Black Buffalo, a subsidiary of Big Sun Holdings Group, provided 3D printed wall sections to the exhibit to demonstrate how municipalities can use large-scale construction 3D printers to meet housing challenges. This hands-on part of the exhibit lets attendees explore a floor plan for a 3D printed building and feel the printed wall sections.
Black Buffalo’s NEXCON line of printers are scalable gantry-style 3D printing platforms that can fabricate structures up to three stories tall. Extendable tracks on the 3D printers allow for an adjustable build volume, while the printer’s nozzle can deposit material at a rate of about 250 mm per second. Black Buffalo says the NEXCON can print a 1,000-square-foot build in less than 20 hours — a feat the company recently demonstrated at a live printing event in Fort Worth, Texas.
The A PLACE meant exhibition is located throughout moCa’s ground floor until December 2024. It is being accompanied by a series of free public events and education programs explaining creative affordable housing solutions in the area.
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Author: Tess Boissonneault
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