GAIA was built with an evolution of traditional raw earth construction techniques. Great importance in this type of construction is given to the foundation, fundamental to avoid dangerous infiltration of water from the ground and to avoid breakage due to differential ground subsidence. In our case the foundation is made up of parts molded in cement mortar and reinforced concrete castings that also serve for the joint of the structure. The masonry in raw earth rests on a concrete slab and contains inside: the system of systems, the thermal insulation system and the external wall ventilation system. The glulam roof is supported by a pillar structure also made of laminated wood, embedded in the foundation, this guarantees the usability of the spaces in total safety.

The thermal performance exceeded the design expectations, and proved to be very satisfactory. The average thermal transmittance of the molded masonry of the module is 0.249 W / m2K and makes possible, thanks to the excellent performance of the floor and roof elements, the cataloging of Gaia in energy class A4. We are also monitoring internal environmental parameters to get a real feedback on the calculated values.

The GAIA architectural module has a physical protection against atmospheric agents, the wide covering guarantees a good protection against thunderstorms. The material used does not have any type of chemical protection that would alter its composition, nevertheless, there were no problems of washing out erosion.

GAIA was designed to be built in Massa Lombarda (RA) Italy and therefore complies with all current construction standards. The printed portion is loaded only by its own weight and appears as an external padding to the lamellar wood structure which supports the roof. Although our intent is to build entirely printed buildings, at the moment our technology does not allow us to provide the molded portions with a resistance and such resistance as to allow them to be used structurally in areas deemed to be at risk from earthquakes.

1. Customizable design: freedom of form, from the simplest to the most complex geometries generated by CAD software;
2. High energy efficiency: the building envelope with earth, straw and husk, with insulation and ventilation chambers guarantees excellent transmittance values
3. Advanced material: mixing earth, straw and rice husk, it is possible to obtain a composite and fiber-reinforced material suitable for 3D printing. The presence of vegetable fibers limits shrinkage during drying and significantly reduces the fragility of the earth material.
4. Low impact material: the energy needed to transform the soil into 3D printing material is very little, but even less is that necessary for its disposal, in fact unless building is not maintained, it will soon be ground again.
5. Speed ​​of construction: 2 men can build an enclosure that protects 20 square meters of floor space in 10 days.
6. High Tech / Low Tech: new life to traditional techniques, in our case an ancient material such as raw earth combined with straw becomes with 3D printing a highly performing and workable material, like the most advanced building materials.
7. Dissemination of knowledge: thanks to 3D printing, architectural projects can become processes capable of adapting to different contexts, this would increase the possibility of sharing knowledge connected to building on a global scale.
8. Curative walls: we are developing a system of diffusion of essential oils inside the walls of the building to repel mosquitoes and parasites without using harmful substances. This system would guarantee the use of repellents without having direct contact with building users.
9. Reuse of materials: all our projects are born to be placed in a circular economic model, for this reason waste materials such as soil, waste from the agri-food chain and rubble can be used for new constructions.

The construction times are related to the type of material that is used:

1. Using our mixture of raw earth and straw it is possible to extrude at a speed of 4200 mm / min with a maximum feed in height of 300 mm in 24 h to allow the drying of the material. This allowed us to print a wall consisting of 7 layers of 2.70 m high in 100 hours for a total of 22 km of car route. By simplifying the geometry, it is possible to reduce printing times to reach the desired height, but this does not coincide with our desire to obtain high performance walls.
2. If you intend to use cement-based mixtures or that in any case by means of a chemical reaction they have a rapid change in state (from liquid to solid), it is possible to increase the progress in height reaching a limit of 150 mm / h. The speed of movement of the printer is instead related to the fluidity of the material, with well-calibrated materials it is possible to reach 6000 mm / min.

GAIA is a unique case in the world, because it is tangible evidence that the principles of the circular economy can be applied in the construction and 3D technology sector. Gaia is the result of a limited and optimized use of agricultural resources, which through technology have been converted into a complex building envelope with minimal environmental impact. We also believe it is possible to develop materials suitable for extrusion using mixtures of materials found on sites different from ours, without neglecting the possibility of using debris and rubble of pre-existing buildings properly shredded and mixed with new binders.

GAIA is an architectural module derived from the desire of showing the full potential of our technology capable of using materials at zero Km, however it would be possible to realize the same concrete wall, but losing all the benefits of a construction in natural materials.

The shape of GAIA was born from the aim of obtaining the largest surface area possible with a single printer unit, the circular plan therefore allows to maximize the walkable area and reduce the wall surface. However, it is possible to print buildings with any imprint on the ground, in addition the Crane WASP is made to meet any size requirement. You can also print multi-storey buildings by editing the Crane WASP during printing, as long as the material used for printing allows it.

To build the walls of GAIA were used:

1. 800 kg of rice husk, 150 kg of rice straw, 11000 kg of ground soil and 800 kg of natural hydraulic lime. The masonry has a maximum height of 2.70 m for a total area of ​​30 square meters and a thickness that varies from 45 to 35 cm.
2. The Crane WASP has a steady-state absorption of 1.1 Kw / h, while the pumping system has a steady-state absorption of 2.0 Kw / h. 290 Kw of electricity were used to complete the masonry of GAIA.
3. The entire printing phase of 100 hours was followed by a person in charge of the preparation of the material and one in the 3D printing control, for a total of 200 hours of manpower.

GAIA is an architectural project that includes multiple processes. WASP has currently carried out research aimed at developing innovative systems for masonry and foundations.

The evaluation of construction costs, comparing the 3D printed buildings with the ordinary ones, is not right because it does not make customers aware of the technological value of the former. It is instead appropriate to compare the opportunities offered by 3D technology in terms of constructive efficiency, spatial articulation and energy performance.

Currently the company intends to evaluate the critical issues of the system and to bring the level of process automation to a higher level. The next step will be to approach the building world as a supplier of on-site 3D printing services. In a couple of years, when the whole system will reach a high degree of reliability, we will proceed with the sale of all the equipment necessary for printing.

The interest and development of buildings through 3D printing is growing exponentially, however it is still difficult to imagine a real market spread in the upcoming years. WASP will be the protagonist in the evolution of this technology, offering new construction perspectives and new models of living.