The architecture sector has combined functionality and aesthetics once more with the 3D printing of an innovative new wall using additive manufacturing technology developed byVoxeljet。
Designed by Swedish architects David Andreen and Ana Goidea, the Meristem Wall is a 1.25 x 2.1 x 0.7m structure that integrates several functional features designed to demonstrate the power of additive manufacturing. This includes piping for electrical wiring and water flow, a complex ventilation network, and a computationally optimized surface structure that enables the wall to serve as an urban wildlife habitat.
Ana Goidea explains, “The ability to create complex and unique forms and geometries with technologies such as 3D printing opens up a whole new realm of aesthetical, efficient, and incredibly functional architecture. And that’s what we want to show with the Meristem Wall.“
A myriad of 3D printed functional features
It’s no secret that the design freedom offered by 3D printing enables the technology to create a limitless number of abstract geometries. In architecture, this translates to the possibility of producing building envelopes that passively harness local micro-climates by storing heat and humidity, driving airflows through convection, and other mechanisms.
那么，是什么使分生组织墙变得如此特别呢？该结构不仅能够支持其自身的重量（以及更多），还集成了电力和灯具，由PEX管制成的水管，窗户，甚至是内置的雨水径流系统。
Additionally, the wall features air filtration functionality, an interior fabric surface, and a comprehensive distributed ventilation system that controls the heat storage and internal moisture levels – all without any moving parts.
Two years in the making
Ana and David have spent the past two years developing the Meristem Wall. Much of the design work was conducted at隆德大学的bioDigital matter lab, and relies on a series of generative design algorithms developed by the architects themselves.
Since the large dimensions of the wall were far too big for most additive manufacturing systems, the duo eventually settled onVoxelJet的VX4000 3D打印机, which offers a build volume of 4 x 2 x 1m. The large-format binder jet system is compatible with sand and well suited to 3D printing mold and core applications.
Voxeljet产品经理Tobias Gruen补充说：“对我们来说，主要的挑战是与精细的内部结构和管子的高度复杂性。由于我们在沙床上打印，在打印过程完成后，我们必须从粘合结构中删除所有未打印的沙子。因此，当我们用空腔打印结构时，这意味着它们总是充满未打印的沙子。”
To derisk the post-processing workflow, the wall was decomposed and 3D printed in 21 individual pieces, which made unpacking the parts much easier. The architects then employed the help ofSandhelden, an Augsburg-based sand processing firm, to help infiltrate the parts with epoxy resin for added strength.
Laurens Faure, CEO at Sandhelden, said, “It took us approximately three days to fully cover the wall with epoxy resin but in the end, we can say that we are very happy with the end result. While concrete 3D printing is ideal for classic facades, as soon as slightly more complex geometries or details come into play, concrete printing doesn’t pose as a good match anymore. This is exactly where we see the strength of binder jetting.”
Once printed, the parts were transported to Venice and assembled into the final Meristem Wall structure. Ana and David displayed their project at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2021 until November 21.
The combination of aesthetics and functionality is a running theme within the construction 3D printing sector. Earlier this year, construction 3D printing companyBranch Technologycompleted a similar project with the3D printing of a building facade for a financial institutionin Chattanooga, Tennessee. Pedestrians passing by theTennessee Valley Federal Credit Union’s(TVFCU) new Southside branch will see the TVFCU’s signature wave branding incorporated into the design of the building itself, and it directs customers towards the entrance.
More recently,Zaha Hadid建筑师(ZHA) and furniture manufacturertecno还展示了他们的新“爱丽丝豆荚”办公室的概念in the Venice Giardini, featuring acustom plant-based 3D printed floor。由总部位于阿姆斯特丹的建筑3D打印公司开发自然, the pod’s distinct base is a carbon-neutral terrazzo flooring.
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Featured image shows the 3D printed Meristem Wall. Photo via David Andreen and Ana Goidea.
