Tag: 3d-printing | ArchDaily

Facing the Age of Robots? Material Innovation in Architectural Structures

Agustina Iñiguez — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 07:30:00 +0000

By exploring the art of robotics in construction, advances in architectural technologies are increasingly shaping multiple aspects of human life. From robotic arms and drones to robots that move across large surfaces and even 3D printing robots, their use in construction is accelerating research and the development of new working methods, as well as structural and material experimentation. In collaboration with multiple disciplines and spanning various facets of architecture, the role of robots in the contemporary landscape demonstrates a potential that extends beyond merely automating processes or reducing construction times and costs. This raises the question: Are we building architecture to serve technology, or technology to serve architecture?

9 m³ of Survival: Inside the Orion Spacecraft and the Architecture of Space Travel

Moises Carrasco — Sat, 07 Feb 2026 07:30:00 +0000

It was July 1969, and people on planet Earth were about to witness a historical moment for humanity: the first time a human being stepped on the surface of the Moon aboard the Apollo 11 mission. After this event, NASA landed five more times on the lunar surface, with the last one being Apollo 17 in 1972. Since then, humans have not attempted to return to the Moon until this year, 2026, when they will launch the Orion spacecraft as part of the Artemis II Mission. Planned to set off between February and April 2026, Orion will not yet land people on the Moon, instead it will make a flyby, in order to allow testing of the software and systems. This will set the base for an actual human landing on the Moon's South Pole as part of Artemis III sometime between 2027 and 2028, eventually opening a brand new era in Extraterrestrial architectural design.

Ornamentation in the Age of Algorithms and Robotics: Can Technology Bring Back Architectural Detail?

Moises Carrasco — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 07:30:00 +0000

Architectural ornamentation has been a recurrent subject of debate across the industry for decades. A practice that was largely abandoned during the Modernist movement could now be standing on a platform that might, again, allow its resurgence, due to the current convergence of robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and digital fabrication. Technology has seemingly removed the primary obstacle to decorative detail: the high cost of skilled manual labor. However, this new technical capacity demands a critical examination: What does ornamentation truly represent, and what do we gain or lose by resurrecting it through algorithmic design?

From Concrete to Cultivation: How AI and Robotics Are Rewriting Architecture’s Material Logic

Daniela Andino — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Architecture has entered a pivotal moment. As cities continue to grow under the weight of climatic and social pressures, the materials and systems that shape them are being redefined. Artificial intelligence and robotics, once used to accelerate construction processes, are now being rethought as tools for cultivation. Printed structures that grow, breathe, and decay. Cultivation, in this context, refers to designing with biological materials, where growth and decay are active parameters, merging digital precision with ecological intelligence. This evolution shows the shift from efficiency to empathy, where architecture becomes an agent of active repair. The introduction of mycelium and other natural materials into 3D printing presents a new paradigm in architecture: the logic of the living. A place where computation and fabrication meet biological adaptability.

The Architect as a Scientist: New Materials Emerging Between Science and Design

Enrique Tovar — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 07:30:00 +0000

What is architecture? For some, its traditional role is to bring together imagination, technical knowledge, and problem-solving, allowing architects to design and construct while balancing ideas with the means to realize them. From the stone and wood of early buildings to the steel and concrete of the 20th century, each era demanded not only an understanding of form but also of the properties and potential of the materials in use. This grasp of materials has always been a core part of the creative process, though its scope was limited by the know-how and technologies available.

Zaha Hadid Architects Develop 3D-Printed Habitats to Support Marine Ecosystem Restoration

Antonia Piñeiro — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 05:30:00 +0000

Zaha Hadid Architects' design for a digitally fabricated marine habitat in the North Lantau Marine Park conservation zone in Hong Kong was recently presented at the World Design Congress exhibition in London. The event took place at the Barbican Centre between September 9 and 10, one of the world's most recognized examples of Brutalist architecture. Its theme, "Design for Planet," called on designers and commissioners of design to take on their most critical brief to date: to design a regenerative future in the face of climate change and to examine design's role as a tool for environmental action. In this context, Zaha Hadid Architects presented Nereid, a digitally fabricated habitat developed with advanced 3D printing technologies by D-Shape, aimed at supporting the natural regeneration of marine ecosystems.

Angola Introduces Large-Scale Concrete 3D-Printing to Address Housing Crisis

Antonia Piñeiro — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 05:30:00 +0000

According to the World Bank, the Angola National Urbanization and Housing Program (PNUH), launched in 2008, aimed to build one million new housing units. However, by 2024, it had delivered only approximately 220,000. Power2Build, an Angolan construction startup, estimates the current housing deficit in Angola at around three million homes, with the situation particularly critical in Luanda, one of the fastest-growing cities on the African continent. With an entirely Angolan multidisciplinary team, Power2Build aims to contribute to reducing this deficit through the use of automated 3D concrete printing technology. Implemented on-site with large-scale construction printers from Danish company COBOD, the system is expected to accelerate construction timelines and improve building quality. Large-scale cement-based 3D printing eliminates the need for traditional molds by precisely placing or solidifying specific volumes of material in sequential layers using computer-controlled positioning. The process involves three key stages: data preparation, material preparation, and printing.

What are Metamaterials? Innovations in Architecture from Acoustic Invisibility to Seismic Protection

Ankitha Gattupalli — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 07:30:00 +0000

The future of the architecture industry holds countless possibilities, as research in the domain progresses. One innovation is the ability for structures to be rendered acoustically invisible, absorb earthquake energy, or harvest electricity from the sounds around them. Qualities of this nature can help redefine the functionality and sustainability of buildings. Architects and scientists are at the forefront of this creation. What makes this possible are metamaterials that could offer alternative methods of designing good buildings.

Canada Pavilion Presents Picoplanktonics, a Living Experiment in Regenerative Architecture at the 2025 Venice Biennale

Reyyan Dogan — Mon, 19 May 2025 06:30:00 +0000

The Canada Council for the Arts presents Picoplanktonics at the Canada Pavilion as part of the 19th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, which will run until November 23, 2025. Developed by the Living Room Collective, the installation engages with ongoing global ecological challenges through a speculative, research-driven approach to design, featuring 3D-printed architectural structures embedded with living cyanobacteria capable of carbon sequestration. Developed through a four-year collaboration led by Andrea Shin Ling and a group of interdisciplinary contributors, the project investigates the potential of co-constructing built environments with living systems.

Slovenian Pavilion Highlights the Relationship Between Architect, Craftsman, and Architecture at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025

Reyyan Dogan — Fri, 16 May 2025 06:30:00 +0000

The Slovenian Pavilion at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia presents Master Builders, a project curated by Ana Kosi and Ognen Arsov and organized by the Museum of Architecture and Design (MAO). The project addresses the evolution of construction technology, encompassing robotics, prefabrication, artificial intelligence, 3D printing, and other emerging tools, while drawing attention to a notable paradox within this technological shift, and also emphasizing that the quality of the built environment continues to rely heavily on the tacit knowledge of skilled craftsmen. By constructing a series of totems, the project examines the collaborative dynamics between architect and craftsman, revealing how this relationship shapes the material realization of architecture.

Exploring 3D Printing in Academia: Prototypes That Foster Collaboration in Architecture

Agustina Iñiguez — Sun, 11 May 2025 07:30:00 +0000

According to the analysis firm Gartner, 3D printer sales surged by 75% around 2014, nevertheless, the technology continues to experience significant growth. While there are multiple debates in the field of architecture about whether 3D printing can be considered craftsmanship or if it is feasible to mix local materials with 3D printing, its implementation from academia aims to create new experiences, research, and knowledge that contribute to its development and practical application. Now, how might the integration of 3D printing in academia provoke future changes in the construction industry? And how could education in architecture and design encourage collaboration with other disciplines to create new applications across different fields?

Norman Foster's View on Designing for Space: New Exhibition of Extra-Terrestrial Projects Opens at Washington's Kennedy Center

Antonia Piñeiro — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 05:30:00 +0000

For three weeks, from March 28 to April 20, 2025, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. will host the art festival "EARTH to SPACE: Arts Breaking the Sky." Curated by Alicia Adams, Vice President of International Programming, and Gilda Almeida, Director of International Programming, the festival includes a full agenda of performances, film screenings, talks, panels, and exhibitions. As part of the festival, Foster + Partners has designed an exhibition titled "From Earth to Space and Back," inviting visitors to imagine a future where humans have experienced life on Mars, where exploring new worlds is within reach, and where technological advancements in space revolutionize life on Earth. The festival is based on the idea that imagining life in space can inspire solutions for living on Earth, a perspective reflected in the projects presented by Foster + Partners.

From AI to Artisans: How MEAN* Merges Computational Design with Middle Eastern Craftsmanship

Nour Fakharany — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Named one of ArchDaily's Best New Practices in 2024, MEAN* (Middle East Architecture Network) is redefining the architectural landscape of the region by merging computational design, digital fabrication, and material research with local heritage. Founded in 2016, the studio takes a forward-thinking approach, developing site-specific architectural solutions that balance technological innovation with cultural continuity. Their work spans projects of various scales, from experimental furniture like the Mawj Chair to urban-scale interventions such as The Adaptive Majlis, a digitally fabricated reinterpretation of traditional cooling and social spaces. By integrating advanced tools like parametric design, AI, and 3D printing with local materials, MEAN* is crafting a new architectural language that reflects both the aspirations of the future and the depth of the past.

Rolling Up in Style: Wagner Transforms Airstream into Mobile Office

Lisa Kostyra — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 01:30:00 +0000

Wagner hits the road in 2025 with the Airstream Roadshow, an immersive experience that inspires new perspectives on office spaces. Under the motto 'It's time for bespoke interior design,' the traveling exhibition highlights the iconic 1962 Airstream Bambi, converted into a mobile working space to showcase Wagner's D2 bespoke interior system, designed by renowned studios Gonzalez Haase AAS and Stefan Diez. As the Airstream travels across Germany, design enthusiasts are invited to explore the lightweight aluminum construction and witness live 3D printing in action.

Using 3D Modeling to Decode the Mathematics of Roman Architecture

Eduardo Souza — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 08:30:00 +0000

From the Colosseum's vast arches to the Pantheon's perfect dome, Roman architecture fused engineering precision with expressive form. These buildings reshaped the urban life of antiquity but also left traces that continue to guide contemporary design. Yet much of the knowledge behind their construction has been lost or obscured over time, like the geometry, the proportions, and methods. Today, new technologies are helping to recover that hidden layer of architectural intelligence, offering fresh perspectives on how Romans built with such ingenuity.

Designing for Two Worlds: How Space Exploration is Shaping the Future of Architecture on Earth

Diogo Borges Ferreira — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Space exploration isn’t merely a testament to human ambition or a quest for new territories and resources. Our ventures beyond Earth’s atmosphere are driven by a deeper purpose: to understand better our place in the cosmos and to pioneer innovations that can transform life on our home planet.

ICON Reveals New 3D-Printed Residential Development in Wimberley, Texas

Maria-Cristina Florian — Wed, 17 Jul 2024 06:30:00 +0000

ICON, the office that pioneered large-scale 3D printing, has announced a new residential development of 3D-printed homes to take shape at Wimberley Springs, in Texas, United States. The complex, comprising 8 single-family homes, features designs from ICON’s CODEX Digital Architecture Catalog. The houses, currently under construction and available for sale, leverage ICON’s robotic technologies to create an energy-efficient, low-carbon construction process.

Rebuilding with 3D Printing: For Everyday.Life Designs Community-Focused Homes for ICON's Initiative99 Competition

Maria-Cristina Florian — Tue, 28 May 2024 06:30:00 +0000

United Kingdom-based office For Everyday.Life (FEL) is one of the three selected winners for the Open Category of ICON’s Initiative 99, an open competition aiming to promote affordable home designs that can be built for under $99,000 employing ICON’s 3D printing technologies. FEL’s project, titled “Housing Salinas,” focuses on community living while applying principles of long-term sustainability, and social and environmental responsibility.