Aug.23, 2013

The large 3D printed sculpture the Echoviren built by Smith|Allen Studio on Series 1 3D printers from Type a Machines was completed last weekend, making it the world's first 3D printed, full-scale architectural installation.

Smith|Allen participated in the Project 387 Residency, located in Mendocino Country from August 4-18, 2013. Spanning 10 x 10 x 8 feet in the heart of a 150-acre redwood forest, the Echoviren is a translucent white enclosure, stark and artificial against the natural palette of reds and greens of the forest.

Echoviren was fabricated, printed, and assembled on site by the designers. With Rhino and grasshopper the designers were able to design every small pieces precisely and individually. The Echoviren is made of over 500 unique individually printed parts, 7 3D Printers ran constantly for 2 months for a total of 10800 hours of machine time.

The structure was assembled through a paneled snap fit connection, merging individual components into a monolithic aggregation. From breaking ground to finish the prefab 3D printed construction technique required for only 4 days of on site building time.

Entirely composed of 3D printed plant based PLA bio-plastic, the space will decompose naturally back into the forest in 30 to 50 years. "As it weathers it will become a micro-habitat for insects, moss, and birds." writes the team.

 

Posted in 3D Printing Applications

 

 

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