This bench stores water and irrigates plants while you rest
The innovative project received funding from the participatory budget in Lille, France
The printer creates two parallel concrete walls with a cavity, that can be filled with insulation, Source: STRABAG/PERI
The construction phase of the new building was completed in 45 hours
On 28 October, the construction of the first 3D printed building in Austria began in the town of Haulstein. The new building was completed in 45 hours by the developer ‘Peri’, a company with experience in 3D printed buildings, with a few projects in Germany. The structure is an addition to the headquarters of the Austrian construction firm ‘Strabag’.
In the past, new architectural ideas usually came through the adoption of new materials and new construction methods. This was the case with the original Bauhaus movement, which came about because of improved steel and concrete technology, enabling developers to build higher and lighter structures.
According to representatives of ‘Peri’, this could change with the wider adoption of 3D printed buildings. The vertical position of the printer head allows architects to use rounded shapes, as the machine pours up to one metre of concrete per second. It also layers the material gradually, adding a very specific texture to both the exterior and the interior.
The lightning-fast construction process of the building, 45 hours, stirs up quite an excitement for the future. Specialists uploaded the construction plan into the printer software, to break it down into manageable chunks.
At the same time, the machine could not produce the building in one single go, and construction workers were on-site to install pipes, electrical wires, windows, etc. This is why the CEO of ‘Strabag’, Thomas Birthel, thinks that it is unlikely 3D printed construction will take away jobs from the industry.
In fact, he sees it as a way to make construction more efficient and more exciting for newer generations, with the added digitalisation. According to him, the printer offers a possibility to counteract specific labour shortages in the more manual fields of construction.
He was quoted in a press release, saying: "3D printing is currently only suitable for construction projects up to a certain size, so well-trained skilled workers remain crucial for the successful implementation of construction projects. Furthermore, 3D concrete printing provides an important innovation impulse for the construction industry and is an exciting addition to other construction methods.”
Despite the good news, preliminary data from the national census reveals a dire shortage in the housing market that will not go away anytime soon
The innovative project received funding from the participatory budget in Lille, France
This was decided after an unprecedented agreement between the national and city governments
The town of Makarska has recently launched a new mobile service, aiming to cut down on paper use and stimulate citizens to go contactless
The invention promises to be revolutionary as it can decouple food production from agriculture and its environmental impacts
Commercial unmanned aerial vehicles will far outnumber their crewed counterparts by the end of the decade and solutions are urgently needed
The invention promises to be revolutionary as it can decouple food production from agriculture and its environmental impacts
The country wants to become a leader in hydrogen production and export
The arid weather phenomenon is affecting the agricultural sector in Northern Italy to almost unprecedented levels
The splendid initiative that turns advertising spaces into art canvases is back for its third edition
Dust particle concentrations can still present a tough challenge to beat, though
The cancellation hits in the middle of the travel season and is caused by serious labour shortages coupled with a sudden rise of Covid cases
These will be spread across 11 EU countries and will serve to support the EU Missions
The European Commission has accepted to develop the idea
An interview about AYR, one of the 2021 New European Bauhaus Prize winners
A conversation with the Mayor of Matosinhos, Portugal’s first UN Resilience Hub
An interview with Nigel Jollands and Sue Goeransson from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
An interview with the President of the City of Athens Reception & Solidarity Centre