Armando V

Although architects and housing developers are 3D printing entire houses, their approaches cannot handle the requirements of large concrete structures. But 3D printing still has a role to play in architectural innovation by improving the use of formwork, the molds that hold concrete while it cures to form walls and other structural and aesthetic elements. You most often see formwork composed of parallel plywood panels. Construction workers install reinforcing bars between the panels and pour in the concrete. Once the concrete cures, the formwork panels are removed. Formwork must support heavy loads and retain its dimensions while the concrete cures.…

Amid the orchards of Massa Lombarda, Italian innovators remixed ancient building materials with modern architectural 3D printing to create a prototype home for a greener future. Using locally-sourced clay and biomaterials, building the TECLA habitat takes a fraction of the time and generates dramatically fewer carbon emissions than traditional new house construction. But this is not a 3D-printed version of your standard tract home. The TECLA habitat has a curved, organic structure that only a 3D printer can produce Printing Homes Like a Wasp WASP is an Italian startup dedicated to building what it calls “zero-mile” homes. By using locally-sourced…

Sawdust is an unavoidable part of woodworking. Lathes, saws, and other subtractive processes generate piles of the stuff. As annoying as it is in your garage, though, sawdust at a manufacturing plant is industrial waste. But now Forust, a subsidiary of 3D printer manufacturer Desktop Metal, has figured out how to turn sawdust into solid wood objects. The high-volume process will let manufacturers mass-produce furniture, household goods, and luxury architectural accents from what was once industrial waste. Binder Jetting “Real” Wood This new wood-printing process is based on Desktop Metal’s binder jetting 3D printers. These industrial printers are designed around…