Amsterdam: A (3D Printed!) House of One's Own

With a six-meter-tall machine and some ambitious architects, the world’s first printed 3D house is in the works. Using a giant special printer called KamerMaker (“roommaker” in Dutch) the Dutch firm DUS Architects is attempting to construct a life-size house from parts of biodegradable printed plastic along the Buiksloter canal in Amsterdam.
According to the Telegraph, work on the house’s front façade is expected to be completed this year. To start, architects use a smaller printer called an “extruder” to print a prototype at 1/20th the size of the house (below). After the model has been completed, builders will use the KamerMaker to print life-size components of the house layer by layer, starting with the façade and eventually moving to a lobby, kitchen, study and guest room. The house’s structure isn’t set in stone, and room plans will change as 3D printing advances. Although it’s unclear if the house will remain permanently, it will remain in Amsterdam for at least three years.
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3D printing technology has already produced everyday items such as jewelry and clothes—and even champagne glasses—but with KamerMaker, which is portable and could potentially construct a room in a single day, 3D printing could have global impact on local levels. This “on demand architecture” could be used as emergency housing in disaster areas and slums and raise awareness about re-use of biodegradable plastics.
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