Feb 19, 2018 | By Tess
When we talk about 3D printing construction we often focus on concrete or cement-based materials being used to build up sturdy walls and structures. But we tend to forget about other building materials that can benefit from additive manufacturing processes.
Fortunately, a team from the University of Hong Kong’s architecture robotic fabrication LAB is there to remind us of the possibilities. The students recently unveiled an amazing pavilion made from 3D printed terracotta bricks.
The impressive structure, called the “CeramicINformation Pavilion,” is currently being exhibited at the Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture (UABB) in Shenzhen, China.
Terracotta, a versatile clay-based material, has a long history in construction and building all across the globe. In China, the earthenware material was used to produce intricately decorated Chinese Imperial roofs, and elsewhere it is commonly used for roof tiles and sometimes walls.
In HKU’s recent project, a team explored the possibility of 3D printing terracotta bricks to build new and innovative structures. In the pavilion currently on display at UABB, roughly 1.5 million lines of code were required and each 3D printed brick contains aroung 1,400 individual target points.
This is not the first time we’ve seen 3D printed terracotta, however, as the same HKU-based lab presented an architectural pavilion in September 2017 made using the same technology. This project, entitled “Ceramic Constellation Pavilion,” consisted of over 2,000 3D printed terracotta bricks.
“This particular iteration explores the process of construction, and seeks to find an appropriate level of automation suitable for emerging and transitioning economies,” said Christian J. Lange and Donn Holohan, two of the project’s leaders.
“Each of the approximately 1,000 components that make up the experimental structure is unique and has a specific immanent relationship to its neighbors. This approach allowed the complex construction to be realized using unskilled labor, over a short period, without the need for typical architectural drawings.”
It reportedly took 20 days to 3D print the terracotta bricks for the pavilion, which were then transported to Shenzhen and carefully assembled on site. The impressive structure, which measures about three square meters, will be on display at UABB until March 15, 2018.
(Images: Christian J. Lange)
Posted in 3D Printing Application
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