Asya Ilgun, graduated at the Copenhagen Architecture School, has realized a 3D printed Hive using a Delta WASP 4070. A complex but efficient structure, a way to get closer to nature and to promote the animal integration in urban contexts.
Nature gives shape to complex structures, to perfect and wonderful mechanisms. Let’s think of the beehive, one of the most advanced architecture examples, formed by hexagonal honeycombs, the most advantageous geometrical shape, inhabited by a very well organized society, where, each member has its own role. Asya Ilgun, a student graduated at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts – School of Architecture in Copenhagen, has watched the hive, has studied its structure and has reproduced it with a Delta WASP 4070.
Moving the architecture borders…
“My idea was born from a consideration about the architecture borders and from the desire to overcome a distinction between architecture and natural systems which still endures”, she explains. “The architectural design evolution is strictly linked to the technology of a fixed period, and nowadays 3D printing, allows us to face the challenge of this project, and connects the realization of 3D structures to the self construction idea, done by social insects (the honeybees)”.
It’s no accident that WASP inspires to a similar insect: the wasp, an animal which bases its existence on the self-construction, in fact it makes its dwelling with what it has, the natural material it finds in the surroundings.
…bringing nature in the city
Asya concentrates in particular on the inter-connection between nature and urban dwellings, supposing the realization of 3D artificial structures for animals, allowing the cohabitation between insects and human beings, for a better residential context in the city too.” The exploitation of new urban locations could cause changes and damages to the ecological system, including the possibility of some spices extinction: the choice of inhabitants from nature in urban surroundings, is done to rescue the hybrid origin of the town settlement.
In particular the bees introduction, involves several advantages: let’s think that 85% of vegetation exists thanks to bees’ pollination. A more genuine space where the local product concept assumes a different meaning. 3D printing moves in this direction giving the possibility to reproduce accurately very complex structures like the “honeycomb”.
3D hive put to the test
The Asya’s hive realized with a Delta WASP 4070, reproduces a natural hive complex structure; full of pillars and bays, built with a porous but resistant material, perfectly suits with insect cohabitation: in May, a 8 months old family (formed by about 500 bees), has been successfully introduced in the artificial hive.
Asya has learnt a lot from the local beekeepers, who allowed her to look carefully to the traditional hive structure but she will be awarded by the final result. Her job is still a work in progress and new experiments will let her improve this project that connects nature with technology.