3D Printing, Prefabrication, and Interior Design: Construction Trends for 2022

3D Printing should be massified towards housing and new typologies

Boraq Hamim Art Magazine reported as Archdaily said: One of the many urban challenges that the pandemic has shed light on is the ongoing housing crisis. By the end of 2021, the tendency has been clear: housing prices across the globe have dramatically increased and vulnerable living conditions have exacerbated – with climate change also being a constant threat. Hence, in these challenging times of uncertainty, architects have had to explore new methods, materials, and technologies for more sustainable, cost-effective residential projects that don’t have to sacrifice design. Among them, 3D printing, a construction technique that once seemed like a distant dream, is now a concrete reality that shows great promise in the road towards efficient housing solutions and new typologies.

Besides being used for complex, extravagant buildings – such as prototypes for Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia – the technology has continuously been tested in the housing sector. In fact, just this year, many 3D-printed residential projects have successfully come to life using diverse materials. For example, Italy hosted the first ever construction printed in raw earth; a circular housing prototype whose entire structure and cladding was built in 200 hours with multiple printers working simultaneously. On the other hand, tenants of the first 3D-printed concrete home in the Netherlands were handed their keys on April 30 as part of a five house project that fully complied with all construction requirements.

With these (and countless others) successful applications in mind, the digital visualization of every component through innovations like BIM and renders has been key in advancing the printing process. By accurately modeling construction systems, with all their dimensions and layers, it is possible to maximize the understanding of how materials fit and work – and consequently aim for a better, more creative architecture. By combining these representation methods with 3D printing, future design possibilities for housing become endless, even in changing climatic conditions. For instance, this year architects developed a low-tech habitat proposal for extreme climates conformed by self-sufficient prefabricated bio-cabins, which could potentially be printed as the technique continues to grow exponentially. Due to its design flexibility, optimization of the building process, and proven viability, it is clear that 3D construction printing is here to stay as we approach 2022. Therefore, its next step should be its massification as a sustainable and affordable housing solution; one that must be capable of unleashing architects’ creativity, move towards new typologies, and adapt to new ways of living in a rapidly changing world.

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