In recent history not many technologies have had as much buzz in the architecture field as 3D printing. It has so much potential, including the ability to build faster with less labour and waste. While uptake has been slow, there is still lots of interest in the tech. As one of the leading architects London has, we would like to look closer at current projects.

Teuge, Netherlands

The thing with 3D printing is it can build structures layer by layer. In this small village in the Netherlands that is currently happening to create a new meeting space. When the project concludes the new building will be 1,000 square feet. It will be one of the most cutting edge spaces for meetings in the world.

One of the most interesting things about this project is that they had to create a very specific type of mortar. It allows the 3D printing and will set within a day. More importantly it doesn’t shrink, expand or collapse. This makes it very stable and suitable for various surfaces.

Other projects

In the last three years there have been a number of other projects that took advantage of 3D printing. This includes homes, offices and even army barracks. There have been micro houses in Amsterdam, El Salvador and Austin. The BOD in Copenhagen was the first 3D printed office in Europe. A team of US Marines, Army and Navy Seabees used the technology to create a 500 square foot barracks in just 40 hours.

All of the projects show the potential benefits of printing buildings. Firstly the construction is much faster than using conventional methods. Secondly there is a smaller carbon footprint. For example the meeting space in Teuge will produce 40% less carbon dioxide than traditional construction. In addition the cost of building is lower, sometimes costing as little as 50% of a typical build.

At Coffey Architects we have a small 3D printer to help us with designs. As a result we know the potential the technology can offer first hand. If you want to work with some of the most innovative architects London can offer, give us a call. We are always happy to speak about projects.