3D Natural Print

Advanced 3D Printing with Biomaterials 

3D Natural Print is a seminar that allows future architects to experiment with large-scale additive manufacturing of biomaterials. 3D printing has been extensively investigated in the last decade due to its accessibility and ability to strategically place material to create structurally differentiated components. However, large-scale 3D printing of biomaterials has not yet been fully explored.
In the summer semester, students are invited to investigate 3D printing in combination with annually renewable natural fibers, in both short and long fiber filament format, and apply this material-oriented technique to architecture. They will be given the opportunity to engage with advanced 3D-printing parameters in a series of architectural demonstrators, ranging from wall and facade panels, slabs, shells, and other structural typologies.
Students will learn to develop a bespoke computational and simulation workflow for 3D fiber-reinforced printing, as well as engage physically with the material by conducting experiments and printing 1:1 prototypes of their proposals. The expected outcome is to present viable strategies by which this emerging material method may be applied to large-scale architectural scenarios, a new territory for this particular natural fiber technique. 

Prerequisites: Rhinoceros and Grasshopper (Intermediate Level)