3D Printing for Sustainable Living
After the construction of Gaia, the first architectural model 3D printed with raw earth using the Crane WASP, the company starts a new technological phase in view of Expo 2020.
“Everyone in the world will have a fine, healthy, sustainable, self-sufficient and ecological home for birthright. The earth is our witness, took form in Gaia.”
Massimo Moretti
WASP introduces “3D Printing for Sustainable Living” for the coming 2019, a long-term program, focused on the development of construction processes through 3D printing and digital fabrication, towards a new concept of house building.
As already announced in the conference “A Call to save the World”, WASP runs for a collaboration with partners belonging to every sector, from architectural design to the university research, from humanitarian associations to national ministries, able to fully share the project. It proposes a strategic program of constructive activities, expressly designed for on-site 3D printing and developed through the use of local raw materials.
Gaia, the first architectural model 3D printed using the innovative technology of Crane WASP and launched in October 2018, is an integral part of the program and represents a case-study, crucial to fully understand the potentialities offered by the additive manufacturing in the field of construction. The mentioned construction embodies an advanced eco-sustainable model, especially in light of performances provided by the walls in terms of interior comfort and in light of cost reduction, thanks to the use of raw earth and natural waste.
WASP, aware of future opportunities in the field of green building, runs for representing a real leader of housing market thanks to technological willingness offered and established network of collaborators able to share and foster the project. In this regard, the company, available to perform the vision compatible with requests of each partner, intends to create an eco-district, which might implement the goals of “3D Printing for Sustainable Living” and put in place constructive strategies replicable in every environmental circumstances.
Expected partners:
- Universities of Engineering, Architecture, Economics;
- Ministries: Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Internal, Defense, Economics and Finance, Economic Development, Food and Forestry Agricultural Policies and Tourism, Environment and Protection of Land and Sea, Infrastructure and Transport, Labor and Social Policies, Education, University and Research, Cultural Heritage and Activities, Health;
- Humanitarian associations and Onlus;
- Public and private authorities;
- Banking institutions and foundations.
“3D Printing for Sustainable Living” is based on the following main macro-areas:
- Promotion of human and material resources from the territory
- Employment of local manpower devoid of advanced training;
- Capitalization of human knowledge;
- Democratisation of technology for production purposes;
- Use of materials easily found on site;
- Employment of renewable energy sources.
- Sustainability of construction process with low environmental impact
- Reduction in transport operations and costs with consequent logistics improvement;
- Reduced use of concrete;
- Employment of natural waste from the agricultural chain and consequent reduction of CO2 emission;
- Planning of the construction lifecycle;
- Reduction in the costs of construction.
- Recycling materials
- Recycling natural waste from the agricultural chain;
- Rubble-recycling;
- Significant material saving thanks to controlled deposition.
- Digitalization of construction site
- Mistakes-reduction due to on-site measuring with consequent overcoming of the traditional means of measurement;
- Constant definition of correct spatial coordinates;
- Monitoring of construction site;
- 3D scanning for digital data acquisition;
- Feedback between digital and real data; correction among possible construction issues.
- Multi-purposes construction
- Achievement of high construction performances thanks to controlled material deposition;
- Embedding of supply facilities during construction, avoiding secondary working;
- Thermal insulation and natural ventilation directly on the wall construction;
- Coordinated use of multiple methods of digital fabrication, included CNC technology and prefab techniques.
- Digital design
- Digitalization of construction project, available as a 3D printing digital file;
- Sharing digital contents available on the Internet;
- Replicability of the architectural project thanks to the versatility of 3D technology
- High constructive quality;
- Realization of architectural shapes non-realizable with ordinary methods;
- Employment of material optimization algorithm for construction purposes;
- Integrated design with BIM software.