3D printing for architects

What is a 3D printer?
3D printers are machines that can automatically create real physical objects and models from 3D computer drawings. Today, the latest models of 3D printers, allow printing out real things as easy as printing 2D paper documents.
 

How do they work?

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3D printers come with software that is used to virtually cut in 2D slices the 3D drawing of an object. Then the printer prints the object one slice at a time (for example by melting plastic). Since each slice has a given thickness (maybe 1/5 of a millimeter) every time a new slice is printed on top of the previous one, the object gain in volume.  And at the end you can reconstitute a real physical object that you can use.

What can you print?

The true value of 3D printers is that they can actually print anything you can imagine. Today’s 3D drawing software are getting easier to use and a 3D printer can bring any of those drawings into the real world. Most of those software are able to export a 3D file in the STL format used by 3D printers. The models are printed in a matter of hours and the printing process is fully automated. The additive principle on which 3D printer is based allows building the most complex structures (see picture).

Advantages for architects

The use of 3D printer is a little revolution as it considerably speeds up the design process and reduces the cost making of the model. Usually 80% of the products total costs are determined in the first 10% duration of the development process. Architects and designers don’t have to spend days making the models anymore and they can therefore refocus on the design itself. This gives them the chance to make numbers of iterations of their designs very early in the development process. It is the perfect complement for a BIM (Building Information Modeling) tool. This save considerable amount of money later on and improve the overall design quality.

Usually 3D printer cost from 100 000 DKK up to 3 million DKK but effort in the industry is recently bringing the cost of those 3D printer under the 100 000 DKK limit. The Danish start-up company Create It Real, hich goal is to democratize 3D printing, is on the way to commercialize a low cost desktop 3D printer (30 000 DKK or less). Such desktop 3D printer are targeting small companies, to allow them to fully integrate 3D printers in their design process and finally get the right tools to go compete against bigger companies. 3D prints cost is very different depending on the technology used but they usually starts around 18 DKK per cubic cm. Create It Real is aiming for a price of 2.25 DKK per cubic cm.

Getting a model early in the design process is also a fantastic communication tool.  Architects are often competing with each other on construction projects and this ability to show a quality model of the design can often make all the difference.

The water cube example

A perfect example of the use of 3D printer in an architecture competition can be illustrated by the construction project of the Chinese national aquatic center. The Chinese government had organized a design contest for the aquatic center of Beijing 2008 summer Olympics. A small Australian team was applying to the project with their design of the “water cube” (see picture). The structure of the construction was inspired by soap bubbles and was not following any conventional straight lines. This was a very ambitious design and 2 weeks before the deadline of the competition they did not have any real model to present.

Nothing communicates design ideas faster than a 3D model. But no model maker thought it was possible to realize such a complex model in such a short time. So using a 3D printer they managed to print it (see picture) and they just made it on time to the deadline. The Chinese were enthusiast about the design but the model made them confident it could actually be done. They won the competition and realized this beautiful one of a kind structure.

The future of 3D printing
With 3D printer getting office friendly, and their price dropping, it won’t take long before it will become practical and affordable to have one home. In about 5 years it will be possible to print electronic using multi-materials 3D printers. In 10 to 20 years we will be able to use human stem cells to directly print organ spare parts and considerably extend our life. After the communication and computing revolution it is the turn of the fabrication revolution to take place. Going from bits to atoms and bringing the virtual into reality.