Why we decided to work with a Delta system and not with a Cartesian one?
Which are the advantages of printing adobe houses made of terrain and straw?
1) the project can be perfectly realized due to the precision of mechanical movements;
2) a customizable designe (architectural shapes designed by geometric modeling softwares);
3) high efficiency and low material consumption (around half less than traditional building methods);
4) fastest-building, we have calculated that 2 men can build a refuge in a week;
5) mixturing straw and terrain, using the extruder designed by WASP, we obtain a fiber-reinforced material like a composite;
6) 3D printing a house is less laborious than traditional techniques;
7) with 3D printing architectural models are improved and become even more efficient sharing knowledge;
8) increasing performances of structural elements filling walls with selected materials (for thermal insulation or other properties);
9) we can create cavity wall, impossible to be obtained with traditional techniques, the aeration canals could be utilized for air-circulation, air-conditioning and air heating system;
10) we're elaborating a building project for a house against malaria, repelling mosquitoes naturally with essential oils vaporized into aeration canals;
11) the locally obtained printing material could be composed of terrain, or debris of building following an earthquake or natural disasters;
12) WASP's technology is the best solution for the emergency situations utilizing recycled and minced materials;
It's important to remind that a new technology opens new horizons and during researching and developing phases no one knows what the future of 3D printing holds. Everyday we have a lot of new ideas.
Did you already 3D print a house?
We took three years of research to build it and now our efforts will turn to the printing house .
The BigDeltaWASP 12m was a fundamental step to take, the innovation that wil make this dream come true. We could have taken less than three years to build it, but let us not forget that our research has been financed through the sale of our compact 3D printers.
The printing of a house with locally sourced materials will be yet another goal achieved through self financing.
Follow the evolution of the project >>
What are the BigDelta 12m’s energetic requirements?
The giant BigDelta 12m printer consumes between 1 and 1.5 Kilowatt. One of the biggest issues during the design phase was that of reducing energy consumtion: in order for it to be used in areas of the planet with no electrical grid, it was necessary that it could function with the energy supply of a single solar panel.
Which materials can be used to print the houses?
BigDelta 12m can extrude fluid-dense materials of any kind. It has been desgined to be able to print materials that are found on location, a mixture of water, soil and vegetable fiber, depending on each territory.
Our giant 3D printer can also print cement, lime based mixtures, sawdust and polystyrene.
How does your system relate with other components of the production process – such as fixtures, covers, floors, and hydric-sanitary-electrical circuitry?
The BigDelta 12m can print houses that can be internally armed and refined such as any cement house. Printing the house requires a type of research toucing upon several knowledge bases that are very different form each other, starting for the architectural experience. It will certainly include all the systems that a house needs, but through a more affordable and sustainable approach. We also think of the fact that, along with industrialized countries, we intend to bring this habitative model in the most disadvantaged areas of the planet, where the housing emergency is even more pressing. It will thus be necessary to plan houses with internal systems that can function anywhere, even when there is no hydric or electical grid available.
Will there be high demand for this type of housing?
The demand for this type of housing already exists. We are receiveing requests from many parts of the world. International estimates foresee that the demand for affordable and adequate housing will grow exponentially for the over 4 billion people that live with less than $3,000 a year. The majority of them will not be able to spend more than 10% of their yearly earnings toward their housing needs. To meet this demand, the UN estimate that, over the next 15 years, there will be an average daily requirement of 100,000 new housing units. Furthermore, along with this impelling necessity, the growing population will need to fulfill its alimentary needs even in areas of the planet that are affected by extreme climates or that are subjected to socio-economic stresses.
WASProject feels it is unimaginable to pursue this objective through an unbalanced approach that seeks to exploit the planet rather than through frugal and flexible planning, taking into consideration the entire social context. The heart and mind can rely on 3D printing technology to meet these primary human needs through a sustanible development model.
What use do you forsee for this printer in the real world?
We expect that it will be used for what it was designed: print 0 Km houses. We are already receiving requests from many areas of the world that we are not yet able to meet.
We envision States, Municipalities and NGO’s that obtain a printer and decide to work side by side for the general well being of the community. The materials and uses that will revolve around the BigDelta 12 m are still awaiting to be discovered, but we find it easy to believe that many enterprises that work on housing components, or restoration and public ventures may develop an interest for it as well.
Will the BigDelta 12 m be available to purchase?
Yes, the BigDelta 12m will be commercially available. We build technologies for humanity and for the planet. In order to do this we need to finance our research. Pricing will be discussed privately.
Is a clay house only possibile in warmer climates?
In the province of Alessandria, in Northern Italy, there are entire buildings that were made of clay over the past centuries and are still habitable. Ait Ben Haddou, a city that is a UNESCO World Heritage site, has been entirely built using raw dirt in the Marroccan inland. When we went to visit it, the guide told us about the minimal maintenance requirements of clay buildings. One curiosity: newlywed couples can choose if they want to receive a green or red clay house as a wedding gift.
Is a clay house is a real house? How sturdy is it?
Yes, absolutely. Even buildings that are several stories tall could be made of clay. They could have all the comforts of a common cement house. There are many examples, although of course none has been 3D printed. Additive manufacturing technology adds new possibilities to a material that has a long standing tradition. These include doing almost completely away with manual work, offering For example it almost does away with labor, ofers much shorter times and yet unexplored nmeans of architectural expression.
How long will it take to 3D print a house?
The time necessary to print a house will depend on a series of factors, starting with the materials: using rapid set cement (which does not interest us although our BigDelta is able to print it) times are significantly shorter and it would take only a few hours to build walls that are several meters tall. If, instead, we choose locally sourced materials, such as clay and raw soil, it is necessary to let the material dry out before depositing more of it, in order to keep it from collapsing. For this reason, if we use natural raw materials without additives, a lot depends on the climate. In a dry and mild environment soil dries up much faster. We do not have a precise answer to this question. It could take a day as well as week. Much depends on the in-field variables.