News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
According to Athens Independent, the Survivor Advocacy Outreach Program (SAOP) has partnered with construction firm Vitruvian to build 3D printed homes in Chauncey, Ohio, aiming to expand affordable housing options in the Appalachian region.
A team led by construction robotics startup X-Hab 3D has completed the structural walls of a 3D-printed concrete home in Nome, Alaska — a first for additive construction in the region’s extreme coastal climate. Located on the edge of the Bering Sea, the site posed significant logistical and environmental hurdles, offering a real-world test of automation in remote housing applications.
According to Carnegie Mellon University, new research from the College of Engineering combines drones, additive manufacturing, and large language models to rethink the future of aerial construction. The new developments are expected to enable the building of shelters, the reinforcement of infrastructure, and the construction of bridges in inaccessible areas.
While marine and forest restoration efforts can often get more attention, desert restoration is also a vital part of environmental efforts. In China, for instance, there has been a growing interest in restoring desert ecosystems with the goal of reducing the risk of sandstorms and combating desertification through the planting of trees, shrubs and grasses to create a “desert-locking forest.” The work involved in planting and maintaining these forests in the arid desert is, as one might imagine, extremely arduous. In a bid to improve the conditions for the volunteer rangers on desert duty, sustainability-focused design studio designRESERVE has built a modular shelter system, called Desert Ark, in the Tengger Desert in Inner Mongolia.
Dutch architectural design company Studio RAP is becoming a prolific creator of iconic 3D printed spaces and building features. Based out of Rotterdam, the studio combines computational design and digital fabrication (i.e. robotic3D printing) in order to transform built space—often with a nod to the traditional. Its recent projects include an algorithmically designed, 3D printed storefront in central Amsterdam, and a series of 3D printed ceramic tiles, inspired by traditional Delft ceramics, that can be used in the construction of aesthetic cladding walls. The company’s newest endeavour, a project called Blue Voyage, might just be its most impressive yet.
The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Archireef, a nature tech company focused on restoring marine ecosystems, to collaborate on cutting-edge research and projects aimed at restoring coral reef habitats and protecting marine biodiversity in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
Located right in the middle of the Chihuahuan Desert, the West Texan city of Marfa is something of an oasis. The city, known for its fertile contemporary arts scene, will also soon be home to a community of 3D printed villas thanks to a collaboration between Houston-based 3D construction company HiveASMBLD (formerly Hive3D), local developer Marfa Optimists LLC and architecture firm DeMaria Design, which specializes in innovative design and sustainability.
According to Gulf News, Kenyo Tech Middle East 3D Printing Factory, a UAE-localized entity, has broken ground on its first 3D printing factory within the China-UAE Industrial Capacity Cooperation Demonstration Park. The factory will be the UAE’s first and largest dedicated to 3D concrete printing.
Based in Vienna, Austria, designer Philipp Aduatz has for years been exploring the use of digital manufacturing technologies to create functional and sculptural design objects. In 2023, for instance, we covered an impressive installation by him: the first 3D printed film studio, which was commissioned by Casinos Austria. His latest project continues the exploration of form and function by combining extrusion-based 3D printing and recycled concrete materials to bring to life a collection of versatile furniture pieces.
Saudi Arabia’s Alfaisal University has acquired a 3D construction printer from Australian company LUYTEN 3D. The new technology will equip students and researchers in the University’s Department of Architectural Engineering with hands-on experience, enabling them to explore the future of construction and drive innovative, sustainable building solutions.