Digital fabrication has found its way into high-end construction. Starting with China, India as well has also contributed to this technology. Several materials have been transformed to fit through the printers, but mud extracted from the site is the most environmentally friendly to use. Given the higher investment cost for 3D printers, the market is ruled by leading construction companies. One such example would be the 3D-printed house by Tecla in Massa Lombarda, Italy, along with architects from Mario Cucinella Architects.
Design Introduction
Spread over 60m2 and constructed for over 200 hours, the house is structurally filled with local raw soil. An innovative design and concept make it environmentally friendly and pave the way to design flexibility, making it the first of its kind. It was inspired by the “invisible cities” of Italo Calvino, metaphorically indicating the city in continuous construction. Evoking a vital link between the past and the future, the name- TECLA (a connection between technology and clay) combines the soul of several ancient homes and traditional construction methods with the new-age technology of the 21st century.
The TECLA (Technology and Clay)
The global building materials manufacturer, Mapei, has backed the partnership between Mario Cucinella Architects and WASP. Mapei has examined the clay materials and determined the essential elements in the raw earth mixture to generate the ultimate, highly optimized printable product. Milan Ingegneria, an engineering company based in Milan, conducted structural testing and optimized the shape to provide a self-supporting framework. Capoferri, a company that specializes in architectural frames and is constantly at the forefront of technological advancements, engineered and produced highly efficient and customized structures for the project. While Frassinago, a multidisciplinary company that includes a landscape architecture design studio and a firm that specializes in gardening and outdoor spaces, was in charge of curating the landscaping. Regarding biomaterials made from rice farming waste that impacted the building envelope’s thermal performance and occupant comfort, RiceHouse offered scientific consulting. Lucifero’s has designed the lighting scheme, working internally and externally to provide the maximum flexibility and sustainability of the intervention.
“Crane WASP” used two arms paired with software to avoid mishaps and was aided by the SOS- School of Sustainability with their expertise in eco-sustainability research—a circular building with vernacular construction principles and the study of bioclimatic ideas. With the aim of a zero-emission project, its use of local raw materials allows waste reduction, making it an example of low-carbon housing.
Drawing future inspiration from potter wasps, WASP (World’s Advanced Saving Project) engineered a process based on the ideals of a circular economy, allowing 3D-printed houses to be constructed in the shortest period. Forms, building materials, and specific technical qualities are determined after a series of general inputs, including the analysis of the site and its climatic conditions, are recognised as the available design strategies. Investigating formal and aesthetic housing options for the projects, Mario Cucinella Architects examined the building’s shape concerning the temperature and latitude of the location. Furthermore, the earth’s composition adapts to the climate, and the envelope’s infill is parametrically optimized to balance thermal mass, insulation, and ventilation following climate requirements. Following this, TECLA responds to the environment and sustainable needs of homes, catering to a more significant global issue of housing emergency.
Conceptualization and Execution
TECLA is made up of two continuous components that come together to form two circular skylights that represent the “zenith light” via a sinuous, continuous sine curve. An organic and aesthetically pleasing design has been brought to life by the unusual shape, from the geometry to the external ridges, enabling the structural balance of the building throughout the envelope’s 3D printing process and after the covering was finished.
The Italian prototype serves as an illustration of how this idea could develop. It consists of two overlapping domes with an open-concept living area and a bedroom that has a compact toilet. A tiny lake outside gathers trash and rainwater to be utilized in the garden, and a separate solar and thermal panel cell gives clean energy to the building, potentially enabling it to be entirely off the grid. It comprised the living areas, including the kitchen, and the night areas, including the services, reflecting the ideals of a circular house; the furnishings are printed in part on local earth and incorporated into the structure of raw earth.
The prototype was created to be more than just a building proposal; it was part of a broader, hypothetical design that included an off-grid area of the city that could be used to create a loop for the recovery of energy and water, which is why the pond exists. TECLA aims to build small smart towns that can generate, distribute, or recycle trash, energy, and water on their own. TECLA is a novel circular housing developed using reused, recyclable materials extracted from the surrounding landscape. It was inspired by the idea of providing a home for everyone during exponential population growth and a corresponding shortage of affordable housing. TECLA, which was constructed with Crane WASP, the newest advancement in on-site 3D construction, signifies a significant improvement in eco-housing.
References
- Pintos, P. (2021). TECLA Technology and Clay 3D Printed House / Mario Cucinella Architects. [online] ArchDaily. Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/960714/tecla-technology-and-clay-3d-printed-house-mario-cucinella-architects.
- Chiusoli, A. (2021). 3D Printed House TECLA – Eco-housing | 3D Printers | WASP. [online] www.3dwasp.com. Available at: https://www.3dwasp.com/en/3d-printed-house-tecla/.
- www.mc architects.it. (n.d.). Mario Cucinella Architects. [online] Available at: https://www.mcarchitects.it/en/projects/tecla-technology-and-clay.
- designboom | architecture & design magazine. (2021). discover the interiors of TECLA, a 3D-printed home made of clay by mario cucinella + WASP. [online] Available at: https://www.designboom.com/architecture/tecla-mario-cucinella-3d-printed-home-clay-interiors-04-15-2021/.
