3D Printing "living" Bio-based materials with Urban Reef
Urban Reef is using 3D Printing to create Bio-Inclusive Cities
Urban Reef is a startup that researches, develops and designs situations and interactions for a more-than-human urban environment. The mission: terraforming world's metropoles.
"Cities should be home to all forms of life, not just humans."
Following this principle, Urban Reef is developing "Reefs" which are designed to be open to a wide range of forms of life. These prototypes are created using algorithms and are 3D printed with "living" materials using Delta WASP 40100 Clay and the Continuous Feeding System. They can absorb water and provide a range of microclimates and nutrients, giving more organisms the opportunity to thrive in the city.
3D Printed "Reefs" to Enhance Biodiversity in Cities
Reefs are intricate designs that can retain water through porosity, and offer a range of microclimates that complement urban settings and extreme climates. In this way they provide microrefugia for urban species, increasing biodiversity.
The 3D printer Delta WASP 40100 Clay is utilized to process complex geometrical designs with porous materials such as ceramics and composites (including mycelium, river dredge, sea shells and clay). The moisture in the air is able to pass through and cultivate the ideal environment for fungi to grow, thus giving life to structure.
The Continuous Feeding System allows the printing of larger pieces thanks to the significant increase of the machine's capacity combined with the automatic material outgassing system.
Rain Reef is 3D printed with a porous material (manufactured from a mixture of seeds, coffee grounds and mycelium), which is saturated with collected rainwater, rendering it accessible to vegetation being grown outside.
Professional LDM 3D Printing
Urban Reef is using Delta WASP 40100 Clay combined with the Continuous Feeding System to develop their prototypes. With Delta WASP 40100 Clay It's possible to print directly on the floor or on a printing surface removable steel. You can also continue printing without waiting for the piece to dry and simply by moving the printer.
3D printed moon 'Enceladus' for Triennale Milano
3D printed art installation for Triennale Milano 'Unknown Unknowns'
Enceladus is a 3D printed art installation designed by Irene Stracuzzi and 3D printed by WASP Hub Mantova (Arche 3D) for the 23rd International Exhibition of Triennale Milano, headed by Stefano Boeri, and curated by Ersilia Vaudo.
The project explores Enceladus, a moon of Saturn that is believed to have an underground ocean beneath its icy surface, raising the possibility of life existing there. This has sparked curiosity in both scientists and artists about what its hidden world might look like.
3D printing the moon 'Enceladus' with 3MT HDP
Enceladus was 3D printed by WASP Hub Mantova (Arche 3D) using WASP 3MT HDP, the large scale pellet 3D printer.
The digital model was provided by the European Space Agency (ESA) and then divided and worked on for printing. There are 12 pieces in total: 5 segments consisting of two pieces that are approximately 1 meter and 0.5 meter in height, welded with hot reinforcements to make transportation and assembly easier, and 2 removable pieces held in place by magnets, so they could be opened to load a smoke machine inside.
The total width is 3 meters and the total height is 1.5, and the material used is PLA INGEO white masterbatch. The total weight is between 150 and 200 kg. The total printing time is about 250 hours.
Photos by WASP Hub Mantova (Arche 3D)
Summary sheet
Piece name: Enceladus
Printer: 3MT HDP
Material: PLA INGEO with white masterbatch
Designed by: Irene Stracuzzi
Printed by: WASP Hub Mantova (Arche 3D)
Exhibition: Unknown Unknowns, An Introduction to Mysteries, Triennale Milano, from July 15 2022 to December 11 2022
Number of pieces: 12
Printing time: 250 hrs
Size: 3x1,5 m
Large scale 3D printing
Enceladus was created with the 3MT 3D printer. This is the best printer for creating medium-large pieces thanks to its wide printing bed area of 1 meter in diameter.
3D Printing for Construction with Alternative Materials | Scientific publication
Digital Innovations in Architecture, Engineering and Construction
3D Printing for Construction With Alternative Materials is a scientific publication that explores the latest achievements and design possibilities that 3D printing for construction (DPC) can offer, the alternative materials to natural aggregates or cement and even the 4th dimension that is already starting in this area.
Published by Springer as part of the book series: Digital Innovations in Architecture, Engineering and Construction (DIAEC), this publication:
- Provides cutting-edge information on Industry 4.0
- Demonstrates that additive manufacturing and 3D printing enhance building processes optimization
- Addresses the needs of both engineers and architects, researchers and designers
WASP in the edge of 3D Printing
In the third Chapter of the book: WASP in the edge of 3D Printing, Massimo Moretti tells the story of WASP (World's Advanced Saving Project), a company that designs, produces and sells 3D printers Made in Italy all over the world.
Taking inspiration from nature and from the observation of the Potter Wasp, which builds its own nest with material recovered from the surrounding environment, WASP produces large 3D printers able to build houses with natural materials and available on the territory, at a cost tending to zero.
“Small slight thoughts take shape by depositing”
Massimo Moretti usually states; WASP invents, thanks to 3D printing, innovative solutions every day to meet the human needs: food, health, work, energy, art and culture.
Editors and Affiliations:
Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering of University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
Bárbara Rangel,
Ana Sofia Guimarães,
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering of University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
Jorge Lino
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianópolis, Brazil
Leonardo Santana
Bibliographic Information
Book Title
3D Printing for Construction with Alternative Materials
Series Title
Digital Innovations in Architecture, Engineering and Construction
Publisher
Springer Cham
Editors
Bárbara Rangel, Ana Sofia Guimarães, Jorge Lino, Leonardo Santana
Topics
Building Construction and Design, Innovation and Technology Management, Industrial Management
Crane WASP has been nominated for the Compasso d'Oro Award 2024
Crane WASP selected by ADI Design for the Compasso d'Oro Award 2024
Crane WASP has been nominated by ADI Design for the XXVIII edition of the Compasso d'Oro Award in the category 'Design of materials and technological systems'.
The Compasso d'Oro Award is assigned on the basis of a preselection made by the ADI Permanent Design Observatory, made up of a commission of experts, designers, critics, historians, specialized journalists, members of ADI or external to it, all engaged continuously, year after year, in collecting information and evaluating and selecting the best products which are then published in the ADI Design Index yearbooks.
Being part of the ADI Design Index 2022, Crane WASP will compete for the Compasso d'Oro Award 2024 in the category 'Design of materials and technological systems'.
Crane WASP is the architectural 3D printer that builds houses with natural materials
Crane WASP is a collaborative three-dimensional printing system capable of printing houses with soil and waste from the agricultural supply chain which reinterprets the shapes of classic construction cranes from a digital manufacturing standpoint.
Tv report of Linea Verde Life on RAI 1
WASP in the Christmas 2022 episode of Linea Verde Life
In the Christmas episode of Linea Verde Life, broadcast on Rai 1, Marcello Masi visits WASP's operations center where he is introduced to the use of 3D printing in the medical field for the creation of customized prostheses and braces. Furthermore, the founder of WASP, Massimo Moretti, presents the new prototype of an eco-sustainable house printed in 3D called Itaca. This innovative home will soon be built near Imola, Bologna using the Crane WASP architectural printer.
TOVA is Spain's first 3D printed building with Crane WASP
3D printed building using local earth
TOVA is the first 3D printed building in Spain, located at Valldaura Labs in Barcelona. It was built with the Crane WASP printer and 100% local materials and labor, generating zero waste and nearly zero carbon emissions.
This manufacturing system can be used globally to address housing emergencies, and was developed by the 3D Printing Architecture (3dPA) program at the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC).
Spain's first 3D printed structure: the TOVA prototype
IAAC has completed the TOVA prototype at Valldaura Labs near Barcelona, Spain. The 3D printed structure was created using the Crane WASP printer and a mixture of earth, aloe, egg whites, and enzymes sourced from within a 50-meter radius of the construction site.
The prototype was designed to demonstrate sustainable building solutions for the design and architecture industries in Spain and generated no waste during the building process. Its foundation was made with a geo-polymer and topped with a wood roof, with a waterproof coating added to withstand extreme weather conditions.
Sustainable building solutions
The building takes into account the climatic conditions of the Mediterranean and has near-zero emissions. It can be used for a variety of applications, from homes to public spaces, and can reduce the environmental impact of construction.
The possible applications of this construction model are endless. In combination with other construction systems, it can accommodate complex and innovative buildings that would reduce the environmental impact that construction currently entails.
IAAC and WASP's collaboration in sustainable 3D printing
IAAC and WASP have been working together for almost 5 years now. Since then, the two companies have not stopped collaborating in the field of additive manufacturing of sustainable architecture.
Students in IAAC's 3D Printing Architecture program are able to incorporate the institute's current knowledge and research with WASP technologies through mutual learning experiences.
This collaboration between WASP and universities and research centers around the world demonstrates WASP's commitment to shaping the future of 3D printing.
Architectural 3D printer
TOVA was created using Crane WASP, a collaborative 3D printing system that can print houses using locally sourced materials, also known as Km 0 materials.
Living Prototypes | a collaborative European research project
Digital Fabrication With Biomaterials
“Living Prototypes” is a Collaborative Project on digitally fabricated prototypes for residential buildings using natural materials, developed by three teams of university research centers and industry partners across Europe.
WASP has participated in the project as IAAC's industry partner, focusing on the theme of Earth-Based buildings using natural materials and successfully creating Spain’s first 3D-printed building using earth.
The exhibition showcasing the outcomes of the project will be on display at the Aedes Architecture Forum in Berlin from December 10, 2022, to January 25, 2023.
Project: Living Prototypes
Project coordinator: ANCB The Aedes Metropolitan Laboratory
Exhibition: 10 December 2022 - 25 January 2023, Aedes Architecture Forum
Photo credit: Erik-Jan Ouwerkerk
Research teams:
BIO-BASED LIFECYCLE MATERIALS – Cellulose Enclosures
CITA – Centre for Information Technology and Architecture, Copenhagen and COBOD International A/S, Copenhagen
NATURAL FIBRE WINDING – Composite Installation in Existing Buildings
ITKE – Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design (ITKE), University of Stuttgart and FibR GmbH, Kernen
LOCAL MATERIALS – 3D-Printed Earth-Based Buildings
IAAC – Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia, Barcelona and WASP, Massa Lombarda
Introduction and aims
Living Prototypes was awarded research funding under the Zukunft Bau funding program of the Federal Institute on Building, Urban Affairs, and Spatial Development (BBSR) and is a collaboration between ANCB and university research centers and industry partners in Germany, Denmark, Spain, and Italy.
- Three university-industry teams undertook the conception, design, planning, and fabrication of prototypes for everyday living spaces, using digital fabrication techniques and natural materials.
- The project culminated with an exhibition at Aedes Architecture Forum in December 2022 presenting the fabrication process, the functionality, and the physical appearance of the prototypes.
- In the exhibition, three separate prototypes made of earth, flax fibre and bioplastic, were brought together in a 1:1 scale installation built around a typical floorplan of a 1-bedroom apartment
3D Printed Earth by IAAC and WASP
As part of the Living Prototypes project, IAAC and WASP developed TOVA: the first architectural construction in Spain located in the facilities of Valldaura Labs, Barcelona, built with a Crane WASP, the architectural 3D printer. The construction can be completed within weeks using 100% local materials and local labor, zero waste, and a close to virtually zero carbon emission footprint.
The project has been developed by a team of students and researchers from the 3D Printing Architecture (3dPA) postgraduate program of the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC).
Bioplastic prints by CITA and COBOD
Bioplastics are renewable, inexpensive, biodegradable and chemically diverse. Digital data analysis technologies, such as machine learning, make it possible to predict and control the behaviour of these complex materials during and after the printing process.
CITA and COBOD prototype components for interior spaces using two complementary bio-based materials (cellulose and bone glue). These suggest future circular material life cycles in buildings that are made possible by this adaptive manufacturing process.
Flaxe-Fibre Winding by ITKE and FibR
Robotic coreless fibre winding aims to optimise material efficiency in architectural components by avoiding formwork and material cutoffs. Material use corresponds to structural demands.
ITKE and FibR investigated robotic coreless fibre winding using natural flax fibres. Through the inter-material dialogue with other living prototypes at the Aedes exhibition, the project communicates the relevance of such material systems in future living spaces.
Architectural 3D printer
Focusing on the theme of Earth-based buildings, WASP and IAAC created TOVA using Crane WASP, a collaborative 3D printing system that can print houses using locally sourced materials, also known as Km 0 materials.
3D printed installation for MUSE - Science Museum
3D Printing, Art and Biotechnology at MUSE Trento
From 30 November 2022 to 8 January 2023 it will be possible to visit the 3D printed installation 'Cloroplastic' for the MUSE exhibition “BioArt. Ricerche d’avanguardia e immaginario artistico” at Palazzo delle Albere, as part of the European project ACDC – Artificial Cells with Distributed Cores.
WASP participated in the project by creating a 3D printed installation using transparent materials of plant origin.
Piece name: Cloroplastic
Printer: 3MT HDP
Material: Recycled transparent PLA of plant origin
Printed with: WASP Hub Milano (Superforma)
Cloroplastic: 3D printing of a transparent biopolymer of plant origin
Cloroplastic consists of a collective work inspired by nature and capable of reacting to stimuli from the environment, the result of the process of sharing scientific knowledge that took place during the Open Talks&Labs organized by MUSE as part of the progetto ACDC.
The outer membrane was printed in transparent PLA recycled with WASP 3MT HDP from the WASP Hub in Milan, Superforma.
The outer membrane of the structure was made of recycled transparent PLA of vegetable origin using WASP 3MT HDP, the 3D printer optimized for large-scale printing.
The work is inspired by chloroplasts, organelles present in plant cells where chlorophyll photosynthesis takes place. It was built in a participatory way, through the use of digital manufacturing techniques and biotechnological laboratories.
In Cloroplastic, visitors who interact with the work will provide the light needed by plants to activate the photosynthesis process. The installation hosts Impatiens walleriana plants planted by the participants in the Open Labs, through the use of micropropagation techniques.
"This installation - explains Lucilla Galatà, project coordinator for MUSE - wants to show the results of a path we have undertaken in the museum as part of the ACDC project, to involve the community in research on the border between natural and artificial, living and non-living living, scientific research and artistic practices. The ultimate goal is to invite the public to look beyond these dichotomies and to inspire new connections and reflections”.
PLA pellet
The material used to print the project is transparent recycled PLA of plant origin. Pellet printing has many advantages: You can use recycled plastic, and It's cheaper and faster than filament material.
Discover our pellet materials.
Large scale 3D printing
For this project it has been used the 3MT 3D printer. It permits to print big pieces until 1 meter of diameter and it is really used for installations or to create walls. The procedure is to print in pieces and then assembly them, building the entire structure.
3D printing with a recycled material from fishing nets
New recycled material for pellet 3D printing
WASP has partnered with Reflow with the purpose of refining the printing of a new recycled material in large scale. The results obtained during the research have been extremely positive, getting us to look forward to continuing expanding our catalogue with new sustainable materials.
The benefits of pellet 3D printing in large scale
These pieces were printed using WASP 3MT HDP, the large scale pellet 3D printer optimized for large objects. The material, rPPGF, provided by Reflow, was recycled and pelletized directly from discharged fishing nets.
Being able to work directly with pellet reduces the cost of the material up to 1/10 compared to the corresponding filament. It allows to use a greater variety of materials, and decreases printing times.
Large scale 3D printer
These pieces have been created with the 3MT 3D printer. This is the best printer for creating medium-large pieces thanks to its wide printing bed area of 1m in diameter.
Itaca: the self-sufficient and eco-sustainable 3D printed house
A self-sufficient and eco-sustainable 3D printed house
On the occasion of the Italian Tech Week, WASP presented Itaca: a self-sufficient 3D printed house that uses the most innovative technologies of Space Economy to create a new eco-sustainable housing model.
"Getting a place as harsh as the moon to be inhabited is hard to imagine, but science says it can be done. Why don't we apply the same technologies here on Earth, to get even the most extreme environments to be hospitable?
Massimo Moretti, founder of WASP
Itaca is an ecosystem that makes use of the technologies necessary to live in space in order to improve the quality of life in areas with scarce water, food and industrial fabric.
The project is designed to make a group of 4 people independent, making them able to live without electricity, water and gas connections.
Food, water and energy self-sufficiency in a 33 meters diameter
The project is based on the thesis that, on Earth, a space of 33 meters in diameter is sufficient to make up to 4 people independent.
Itaca represents a selection of technical solutions optimized to create a circular micro economy, while maintaining the environmental balance.
Itaca is a collective research and development model
The digitization of collective knowledge and digital manufacturing are the processes that guide the development of the project.
Itaca proposes itself as a collective research and development model, where all the solutions implemented are digitized and shared.
A 3D printed house with zero kilometer materials
The main structure of Itaca will be printed by Crane WASP using natural local materials.
The project consists in a 3D printed house developed with zero kilometer materials, in which digital manufacturing and knowledge provide us with food, energy and economic independence.
"For us at WASP, Itaca represents a path towards food, water, energy and economic self-sufficiency. A proposal for a solution to the social, energy, climate, and mass migration crisis. For us, 3D printing and digitization are a response to the needs of humanity "
Massimo Moretti, founder of WASP
WASP has already purchased the land for the construction of Itaca
WASP believes in the project, and has already purchased a plot of land near Bologna, where it will build the first Itaca over the next year.
Itaca is a training project, an open-source laboratory in which everyone is invited to participate.
WASP at the Italian Tech Week 2022
WASP at the Italian Tech Week 2022
WASP is back from Italian Tech Week, the largest technology event in Italy organized by Riccardo Luna. On the stage of the Fucine, in the splendid setting of the OGR in Turin, Massimo Moretti presented Itaca, the new project by WASP to respond to the needs of humanity through digital manufacturing.
On the occasion of the third edition of the exhibition, WASP participated both as a speaker and as an exhibitor, setting up a stand for Crane WASP, the architectural printer with which WASP has created some of its most renowned projects, including the very recent 3D printed exhibition for Triennale Milano.
Concurrently with the event, La Repubblica published an interview with Massimo Moretti, founder of WASP and speaker for the event.
Credits: photo Daniele Solavaggione
A 3D printed exhibition for Triennale Milano
A 3D printed exhibition for Triennale Milano
On the occasion of the 23rd International Exhibition of Triennale Milano, headed by Stefano Boeri, WASP and Space Caviar created an entirely 3D printed exhibition, using eco-sustainable materials of natural origin.
The thematic exhibition Unknown Unknowns, curated by Ersilia Vaudo, addresses a series of themes including: gravity, seen as “the greatest designer”, an artisan that tirelessly shake the universe to which we belong.
Conceived by Space Caviar and produced by WASP, the exhibition design explores gravity’s ability to shape reality. The exhibition space is designed so that it converses with a hypothetical gravitational point positioned at the center of the museum’s Curva where the exhibition itself is located.
3D printing inside a museum
For the first time ever the exhibition design is completely produced inside the museum itself. For the occasion, WASP has created 32 different pieces in just 10 days.
This collaboration is a brilliant example of how WASP technology is declinable and multidisciplinary.
Crane WASP collaborative 3D printing system
For this project WASP used the architectural 3D printer Crane WASP, a collaborative 3D printing system.
For the needs of this specific setup, WASP transported and assembled Crane WASP within the museum and mixed the material near the printer on the first floor of the Triennale.
Following the values of reuse and sustainability, the staging for the thematic exhibition was realized using only organic materials, largely deriving from the food industry.
This mixture, designed by Ricehouse, was used for the first time by WASP to create a 3D printed wall with embedded stairs in collaboration with IAAC. This work can be considered a first significant step towards the realization of load-bearing earthen structures.
Exhibition: Unknown Unknowns. An Introduction to Mysteries
Inauguration: July 15 2022, the exhibition will be open until December 11 2022
Location: Triennale Milano
Credits: photo © DSL Studio
see Press Kit for more details
