The construction industry creates a waste that is expected to reach 2.2 billion tons globally by 2025 (Transparency market research). Because of this the market started trying different new techniques to construct with less waste, that is how with the 4.0 industrial revolution came the Additive manufacturing process, that fabricates physical 3D objects layer by … Read more
This blog is a review of Michael Pawlyn’s book, Biomimicry in Architecture. “Biomimicry is a powerful innovation tool that allows architects to go beyond conventional approaches to sustainable design and deliver transformative solutions we need.”-Michael Pawlyn The book “Biomimicry in Architecture” by Michael Pawlyn introduces the term biomimicry and how it can impact architecture. The … Read more
The Prismatic Pavilion Site Context ?The Institute of Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) is located in the city of Barcelona, Spain. ?The institute is situated in the Poblenou neighborhood, which is known for its innovation and technology industries. ?The institute is easily accessible by public transportation, with several bus and metro lines running nearby. ?The campus is also located close … Read more
The brief asked for the design of a student housing facility in Barcelona, that would be 3D printed out of earth material. A previously studied module considered as a stand-alone pavilion was adapted, varied and proliferated in order to scale up the structure. Location Given the context of Barcelona and the required function for the … Read more
Concept The project aims to translate movement/motion of people from the streets into kinetic/ light and sound installation on the building’s facade using metal pipes/ wind chimes. The main input into the project would be from ultrasonic sensors placed on the exterior wall in between the building’s boundary and the public. The input from these … Read more
How can we print a multistory student housing facility using earth and what techniques should we use to cover the fifth facade? As 3dpa students studying in Barcelona, we found it quite difficult to find short-term housing in Poblenou with the amenities we required. Here is where we began, with the goal of providing accommodation for all short-term IAAC … Read more
As the world progresses towards sustainable development, the use of 3D printing technology in construction is gaining momentum. One such application is the use of 3D printing to construct earthen buildings, which has several advantages over traditional construction methods. Earthen buildings have been used for thousands of years and are known for their durability, low … Read more
Concept Motion Rhythm is an immersive installation that creates kinetic and sound patterns through the movement of people. It intends to capture the motion of walking and represent it at eye level, creating a connection between the body and its surrounding environment. It consists of a kinetic ceiling made of transparent bars with metal balls … Read more
The use of large-scale 3D printing in construction has been on the rise in recent years, with many architects and builders experimenting with different techniques and technologies. One such project is the final project for the 3DPA postgraduate program at the IAAC Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia, which utilized the WASP Crane for printing … Read more
Multiple-story 3d printed earth housing in Barcelona Introduction Milà Earth envisions an earth high-rise building located in Milà i Fontanals street on Vila de Gracia, a high-density neighborhood in Barcelona. An architectural proposal for student housing that aims for vertical densification of the central city. Focusing on using local materials and innovative cutting-edge building technologies, … Read more
The proposed student housing is a result of a system, designed with bottom to top approach, where a module design is considered with variable parameters to proliferate into a building proposal which establishes the relationship between structural and spatial organizations. The site falls within the close proximity of some institutions and more importantly close to … Read more
At a time when additive manufacturing using earth becomes commercial and available for large scale services, earthen housing becomes more possible without the heavy maintenance required for challenges like spanning, drying, heightening, printing, and durability. A student earthen housing project in Barcelona could vary in many capacities depending on its context of deployment, and in … Read more
Employing a passive design strategy for construction can be a viable way to address this issue since buildings use the majority of the energy consumed in a city for heating and cooling space. The goal of the study is to create a passive heating and cooling system in a controlled environment by experimenting with the … Read more
Posidonia Oceanica In the Mediterranean, most plant debris is made up of the species Posidonia Oceanica (L.) Delile, asuperior plant that is endemic to this sea. It forms extensive meadows from the shallowest areas of the coast to variable depths, depending on how deep light can penetrate the water to enable photosynthesis to take place. … Read more
Noise Pollution What is noise pollution? And what are the effects of noise pollution? Noise pollution is considered to be any unwanted or disturbing sound that affects the health and well-being of humans and other organisms. And World Health Organization considers decibels over 65 dB noise pollution. Noise pollution is affecting everyone. For some people, … Read more
Framework Properties of Concrete There needs to be a reduction in the amount of cement usage. But in order to make it sustainable there needs to be a change in the processes currently used, aiming the reduction of the CO2 emissions produced by the industry. With 3D printing and the help of computational tools, highly … Read more
The competition proposal of a 1:1 3d printed arched clay vault should be characterized by feasibility in construction. To achieve feasibility, the design of the vault uses bended sheets of wood to carry arches, dwells on strong connections in the infills, and complies by site printing restrictions [4,500 meters of print length alongside a maximum … Read more
Designing for the 3D printing of a self-supporting Pavilion Background For the Competition phase, the brief asked for a design of geometries that addressed the 5th facade in the attempt to cover or go over and above the average human height. Our proposal attempts to have this brief satisfied without the use of additional/external support … Read more
Designing a small earth 3D printed structure with two or more support points that spans over a person and fits within one crane printing radius. The competition phase’s objective is to create a small, 3D-printed earth structure that can span a person, fits within a crane’s printing radius of 4 meters, and doesn’t require an … Read more
Presented is a proposal for building a 3d printed pavilion with biomaterials in Valldaura camp with the main challenge of covering a horizontal 3d printed surface. The project is part of an internal competition during the 3DPA 22/23 postgraduate studies. The winning proposal will be finally built. Several iterations were made as part of the … Read more
Three symmetrical generative axes were considered that reach the top, meeting in the same origin. Altering parameters such as the distance between the base axis, the inclination reaching the top and the height of the top axes, the geometry is considered in a shape which is achieving a controlled inclination of the guide surfaces of … Read more
How can we improve the additive manufacturing process? According to a panel of experts, this process is not perfect. There are several issues on it, like the time that they normally spend prototyping to have “the perfect piece”. This involves different parameters like speed, pressure, Material Consistency, the calibration of the robot, etc. In most … Read more
