Development
The World’s First 3D Printed School will be Built in Madagascar By Vanessa Bates Ramirez
3D PRINTED HOUSES HAVE been popping up printing a school is likely substantially cheaper than all over the map. Some are hive-shaped (https:// building it through traditional construction methods. singularityhub.com/2021/02/03/this-hive-like-house-is-3dThe school’s modular design resembles a printed-carbon-neutral-and-made-of-clay), some can honeycomb, where as few or as many nodes float (https://singularityhub.com/2020/06/30/this-houseas needed can be linked together. Each node is-3d-printed-floats-and-will-last-over-100-years/), some are up for sale. Now this practical, cost-cutting consists of a room with two bathrooms, a closet, technology is being employed for another type of and a front and rear entrance. The Fianarantsoa school with just have one node to start with, but as building: a school. Located on the island of Madagascar, the local technologists will participate in the building project is a collaboration between San Francisco- process, they’ll learn the 3D printing ins and outs based architecture firm Studio Mortazavi (https:// and subsequently be able to add new nodes or build similar schools in other areas. studiomortazavi.com) and Thinking Huts (www. The printer for the project is coming from thinkinghuts.org), a nonprofit whose mission is to Hyperion Robotics (www.hyperionrobotics.com), a increase global access to education through 3D printing. The school will be built on the campus of Finnish company that specializes in 3D printing a university in Fianarantsoa, a city in the south solutions for reinforced concrete. The building’s walls will be made of layers of a special cement central area of the island nation. According to the World Economic Forum (www. mixture that Thinking Huts says emits less carbon weforum.org/agenda/2021/02/the-world-s-first-3d-printed- dioxide than traditional concrete. The roof, doors, school-is-taking-shape-in-madagascar), lack of physical and windows will be sourced locally, and the whole infrastructure is one of the biggest barriers to process can be completed in less than a week, education. Building schools requires not only another major advantage over traditional building funds, human capital, and building materials, but methods. “We can build these schools in less than a week, also community collaboration and ongoing upkeep and maintenance. For people to feel good about including the foundation and all the electrical and sending their kids to school each day, the buildings plumbing work that’s involved,” said Amir Mortazavi, should be conveniently located, appealing, lead architect on the project. “Something like this comfortable to spend several hours in, and of would typically take months, if not even longer.” The roof of the building will be equipped with course safe. All of this is harder to accomplish than solar panels to provide the school with power, you might think, especially in low-income areas. Because of its comparatively low cost and quick and in a true melding of modern technology and turnaround time, 3D printing has been lauded traditional design, the pattern of its walls is based as a possible solution to housing shortages and on Malagasy textiles. Thinking Huts considered seven different a tool to aid in disaster relief. Cost details of the Madagascar school haven’t been released, but if countries for its first school, and ended up choosing 3D printed houses can go up in a day for under Madagascar for the pilot based on its need for $10,000 or list at a much lower price than their education infrastructure, stable political outlook, non-3D-printed neighbors, it’s safe to say that 3D opportunity for growth, and renewable energy 34
March-April 2021
DAWN
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