WASP unveils world’s first 3D printed habitat

ITALY’S WASP UNVEILS WORLD’S FIRST 3D PRINTED HABITAT

Italian additive manufacturing firm WASP has unveiled the world’s first 3D printed structure, featuring a circular model of housing entirely created with reusable and recyclable materials sourced from local soil, carbon-neutral and adaptable to any climate and context.

Codenamed “TECLA”, it is the first 3D printed construction of its type and based on natural materials and was created using multiple 3D printers running at the same time.

WASP hopes the project will show 3D printing can be applied to the construction sector in a revolutionary and innovative way while minimising the use of human energy and resources.

The firm described the process as “a real challenge” as they attempted to maximise the performance of the materials but was at the same time their most stimulating project.

The double dome design of the building made it possible to cover at the same time the roles of structure, roof and external cladding, making the house high-performance on all aspects.

It added TECLA can show how humanity can use the natural world around it and can be used to its full extent without resorting to pollution and excess waste.

WASP claims their projects come at little-to-no cost and the team developed their own 3D printers, inspired by the Potter Wasp, to undertake their projects.

The project was developed using indepth research undertaken by the Italian

School of Sustainability (SOS), founded by architect Mario Cucinella.

The partnership between the two parties was supported by Mapei, an international supplier of construction materials, which helped identify the key component required in TECLA’s construction.

Massimo Moretti, WASP’s founder and CEO, said: “From the shapeless earth to the earth as house-shaped. Today we have the knowledge to build with no impact in a simple click.

“Technology is now at the human service and the home as a birthright is real.”

Mario Cucinella, the founder of Mario Cucinella Architects and the SOS, said: “The completion of the structure is an important milestone and shows that, thanks to the design and technologies used, TECLA is no longer just a theoretical idea but can be a real and achievable response to the needs of living today and the future, that can be declined in different contexts and latitudes.”

The construction process can be replicated owing to the special design and layout of the printers used.

In a first for the industry, specialist software allowed for two printing arms to be synchronised as part of construction, which allowed WASP to avoid collisions and ensured simultaneous operation.

The entire project was created in a period of 200 hours, WASP claims.

The final installation of the project and its presentation are scheduled for Spring 2021. n

For more information, visit: www.3dwasp. com/en