The Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) has completed a 100 sqm low carbon emissions 3D printed building prototype using local soil and natural materials, leveraging the pioneering Crane WASP 3D printer. This innovative structure, located in the forest of Valldaura within the Natural Park of Collserola, Barcelona, Spain, showcases sustainable and eco-friendly construction techniques.
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3D Printed Building Earth Forest Campus
The 3D-Printed Earth Forest Campus is an architectural intervention featuring enclosed, covered, and open spaces made from 3D-printed earth. It serves as a live laboratory for testing new construction and architectural solutions. The project’s fragmented and deconstructed floor plan demonstrates the flexibility afforded by 3D printing technology. The spatial distribution has evolved over time, with wall sections being recycled into new walls and rooms. The organic layout aims to create diverse indoor, semi-indoor, and outdoor environments, moving away from standard architectural solutions to better meet users’ needs.
Built primarily from natural materials, the 3D-Printed Earth Forest Campus features a strong stone foundation below ground and earth walls printed from locally sourced material. The walls are printed at a rate of 25 cm per day and can reach 2.5 meters in approximately 10 days. Roofs are anchored to the walls to prevent uplift due to wind forces.
The Process of 3D Printed Buildings
3D printing in construction, also known as additive manufacturing, is a revolutionary process that involves creating three-dimensional structures layer by layer using digital models. This technology is transforming the construction industry by offering new possibilities for design, efficiency, and sustainability.
Awards and Recognition
The first phase of the 3D-Printed Earth Forest Campus, known as TOVA, won the “Shaping a Circular Industrial Ecosystem” prize at the New European Bauhaus in 2023. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, praised it as “cutting-edge 3D printing technology to print sustainable buildings made of earth.” Adjacent to TOVA, TEIXIT extends the living and working area of the forest robotic campus in the Collserola Natural Park.
This pioneering project by IAAC highlights the potential of 3D printing technology in creating sustainable, low-carbon buildings using local and natural materials, setting a new benchmark for eco-friendly construction practices.
