Researchers from the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) have 3D printed a 100 m2, low-carbon emissions building prototype using a Crane WASP 3D printer.
This is the latest eco-friendly structure to be fabricated for the 3D Printed Earth Forest Campus (TOVA) in Collserola Natural Park (Barcelona). The IAAC team used local soil and natural materials as feedstock for the Postgraduate in 3D Printing Architecture (3DPA) project.
The construction sector accounts for 39% of global CO2 emissions, with the global housing market currently experiencing a shortage of homes. The IAAC’s 3D printing efforts reportedly represent a notable step in achieving wider global availability of environmentally sustainable and affordable housing.
Last year, the first phase of the TOVA project was awarded the “Shaping a Circular Industrial Ecosystem” by the European Union’s (EU) New European Bauhaus (NEB) initiative. At the time, EU President Ursula von der Leien called the IAAC’s project “a cutting edge 3D printing technology to print sustainable buildings made of earth.”
A new addition to the IAAC’s 3D-Printed Earth Forest Campus
The IAAC’s 3D Printed Earth Forest Campus features multiple closed, covered and open spaces made from 3D printed earth materials. These spaces act as a live laboratory for developing new constructive and architectural technologies. The use of natural materials has allowed the campus to evolve, with some 3D printed wall sections recycled into new walls and rooms.
The IAAC’s goal for TOVA is to create multiple rooms, indoor, semi-indoor and outdoor environments that differentiate from “repetitive standardized contemporary architectural solutions.” The 3D printed approach is said to facilitate the adaptation of buildings to the needs and preferences of the user.
To construct the buildings, 50 cm of natural stone foundation is laid to enable stability and drainage. The first 30 cm of the wall structures consists of a solid 40-70 cm thick stabilised earth base, protecting against floods and rain.
Material for the walls is sourced on-site and excavated from below 0.5 m to avoid organic content. This earth material is then dried in the sun, sieved to remove large stones, and mixed with water. Organic fiber and natural enzymes are added before the natural feedstock is fed into the Crane WASP Liquid Deposition Modeling (LDM) 3D printer.
Developed by Italian 3D printer manufacturer WASP, the Crane WASP boasts a substantial 3D printing area of Ø 8200 mm x H 3200 mm (Ø min 2000 mm). Marketed as a “collaborative 3D printing system,” the Crane WASP is designed specifically for 3D printing houses using locally sourced material.
This system fabricates the walls at a rate of 25 cm height per day, to avoid collapse due to the weight of the structure. A maximum wall height of 2.5 m in 10 days, with thicknesses varying from 70 to 40 according to required load weight and orientation. Finally, the timber roofs are installed and anchored to the 3D printed structure.
The 3D printed walls can support both their own weight and that of the wooden roof, while acting as thermal barriers and humidity regulators. Unlike conventional masonry and earth construction processes, the 3D printed walls contain cavities that make them 50% hollow. This reduces material use and allows for natural ventilation and the addition of insulation.
According to WASP, earth material has relatively low mechanical strength. Therefore, conventional techniques such as rammed earth or compressed earth blocks produce thick and opaque walls. Conversely, 3D printing the walls enables increased light porosity. Depositing the walls one layer at a time creates small local cantilevers into a network of 20 cm wide openings.
3D printing affordable, sustainable housing
Additive manufacturing is being increasingly leveraged by architecture firms looking to build affordable and sustainable housing.
This month, Texas-based construction 3D printing firm ICON announced the availability of new energy-efficient 3D printed homes in Wimberley Springs, 40 miles south of Austin. The new development features eight single-family homes made using ICON’s digital architecture catalog. Priced in the upper $800,000 range, the houses range from 2,800 to 4,000 sq. ft. and feature four to five bedrooms.
The 3D printed buildings include designs from ICON’s AlphaBeta and TexNext collections. Notably, each home incorporates high thermal-performance concrete construction. This maintains stable indoor temperatures, lowering heating and cooling costs and energy requirements. The structures are certified to the EnergyStar standard, typically achieving a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) rating of 40-55. This makes them 45-60% more energy-efficient than standard new homes.
Elsewhere, Portuguese company Havelar produced what it claims to be Portugal’s first affordable 3D printed house. The 80m2 two-bedroom structure, located in the Greater Porto area, was produced in 18 hours using COBOD’s BOD2 3D printer.
In addition to Havelar’s fast-paved 3D printing approach, it reportedly sells homes substantially below prevailing market rates. Prices for the company’s modern, mid-market offerings start at €1,500 per m2. This is significantly lower than Porto’s average price of €3,104/m2, as reported by the Portuguese National Statistics Institute. These savings are credited to the efficiency and rapid project completion enabled by 3D printing construction technology.
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Featured image shows the 3D Printed Earth Forest Campus. Photo via WASP.
