Urban development impacts people’s lives invisibly. While countries may be able to beautify capitals and city centres, they are usually failing to establish an equitable public infrastructure.
This imbalance is why some people have a poor quality of life in developed cities, since they live on the periphery, while others thrive in central locations.
Overall, the many challenges of urbanist architecture and design hinder the creation of proper spaces for communities. Livable cities thrive based on sustainability, connectivity, and accessibility, which is why the location of a building matters.
For instance, a public library should be surrounded by spaces for people to gather, with nature- and harmony-inspired designs, which is especially important for kids borrowing books and engaging with their communities.
On the other hand, an institution such as an office of No Win No Fee solicitors in London should be close to other business hubs, have parking facilities nearby, and maybe even be near a courthouse.
Hence, placement matters, but how can cities achieve it? The answer is 3D printing technology. Let’s get into it.
3D printing is necessary to map out a city
The use of 3D printing in urban development falls into two main categories: generating city models and building structures layer by layer with large-scale printers. The first involves software that enables teams to develop topographical structures, including buildings, roads, and green spaces.
The second is an advanced technology that leverages machinery to build structures fast and efficiently. The best examples of this emerging solution include 3D-printed homes in Texas, the result of a collaboration between ICON and an NGO. The project includes a neighbourhood of 100 homes that was just completed this year.
3D printing is beneficial for creating sustainable cities
With 3D printing, building houses, structures, and other buildings will be faster, more affordable, and more efficient than ever.
While traditional building is time-efficient, 3D printing can generate a structure in several days, depending on its complexity.
Other benefits include:
- Affordability: As the costs for labour and materials are low, the prices for homes will be more affordable to citizens;
- Sustainability: 3D printing can use eco-friendly and recycled materials in an effort to reduce waste;
- Design: 3D printing can effortlessly create complex and intricate architectural designs that would otherwise be difficult with traditional techniques;
1. 3D printing can be utilised for prototypes
Designing a city requires an architectural approach that balances design and practicality, which is why creating physical prototypes of buildings is necessary to develop it accurately.
Interacting with the scale of the project and collaborating on texture and materiality is easier with prototypes, which provide details on building facades and even interior furniture.
Creating prototypes with 3D printing can take as little as a few hours, speeding up the finalisation of a project. It delivers an accurate final product without outsourcing, ensuring high precision in architectural designs.
2. 3D printing can be used for generating parts
Accurate urban architecture isn’t made of one piece: it requires linking fragments, items, and samples to make everything look put together. 3D printers can be efficient at creating joints, brackets, and other components that enhance the structure’s overall quality.
Moreover, the possibility of creating the part uniquely can offer architects and creators greater creativity and freedom to experiment with organic shapes.
For example, Dubai’s 3D-Printed Office Building demonstrates how the technology can support the creation of sophisticated structures that still meet the standards for safe, efficient spaces.
3. 3D printing can design accurate structural integrity
The structural integrity of a building might seem underrated, considering the focus on the exterior or interior design.
However, this aspect is vital to citizens’ safety, as it determines the structure’s capacity to remain secure under the pressure of its own weight.
With 3D printing, teams can translate concepts and designs into real life based on material selection, the environment in which the building will operate, and forecasted pressure from external forces. The model-making printing will be transferred into the actual building, ensuring a stable, sturdy structure.
The need for 3D printing for an eco-friendly industry
It’s no secret that the construction industry is wasteful, contributing to 62% of the UK’s waste. Whether it contains hazardous elements found in treated timber, lead-based paint, or certain types of insulation, waste is also not properly managed by authorities, perpetuating the endless cycle of harm to nature.
On the other hand, 3D printing generates considerably less waste right from material processing, since machinery is equipped with just the right amount of material to build a structure. Even special parts that need customisation with shaping and cutting are efficiently programmed.
3D printing can also process recycled materials, such as plastic or glass, which can be turned into filaments or pellets. Therefore, it makes the creation of sustainable spaces in cities more feasible, as recycling is cost-effective.
Is mass-customised digital construction the future?
In a world of a rapidly growing global population, increased life expectancy, and rapid technological expansion, finding the balance between speed and efficiency in home construction and design is necessary.
Urban planning will extend towards smart infrastructure, environmental sustainability, and functional performance to assess the population’s needs.
Therefore, building affordable, green, and sufficient structures can help improve people’s lifestyles in the future. We can leverage technology to blend our lives with the environment while remaining open to change rather than resisting it.
Finally, contributing to such an important industry—people, designers, architects, and constructors — collaboratively can ensure the success of lively urban spaces that provide the ideal lifestyle.
Conclusion
3D printing is a revolutionary technology in construction, as it can help implement the entire strategy for developing urban spaces, from planning to construction. 3D software can help map the city’s structures based on citizens’ needs, while 3D large-scale printing machinery can bring those creations to life.
Together, they can lay the foundation for sustainable, affordable living spaces and revolutionise construction for the future.
As technology advances, more companies will leverage 3D printing to create prototypes, produce structural components, and verify a building’s structural integrity.
