Tecla 3d printed house

TECLA Technology and Clay 3D Printed House / Mario Cucinella Architects

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Curated by Paula Pintos

Text description provided by the architects. The first eco-sustainable housing model 3D printed entirely from local raw earth. This genuinely innovative and pioneering approach was conceived from the start as a joint project between the two firms, who worked closely throughout the project’s design and construction.

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Metaphorically inspired by one of Italo Calvino's ‘invisible cities’ - the city in continuous construction - the name TECLA evokes the strong link between past and future by combining the matter and spirit of timeless ancient homes with the world of 21st-century technological production.

Located in Massa Lombarda (Ravenna, Italy), TECLA has become a reality thanks to the eco-sustainability research of the SOS - School of Sustainability (training center founded by Mario Cucinella), the pioneering research projects of Mario Cucinella Architects and the collaborative 3D printing technology of WASP.

TECLA is an innovative circular housing model that brings together research on vernacular construction practices, the study of bioclimatic principles and the use of natural and local materials. It is a nearly zero-emission project: its casing and the use of an entirely local material allows for the reduction of waste and scraps. This and the use of raw earth make TECLA a pioneering example of low-carbon housing.

For this project, Mario Cucinella Architects not only explored housing solutions in formal aesthetic terms, it also studied the building’s shape in relation to its climate and latitude. In addition, the composition of the earth mixture responds to local climatic conditions and the filling of the envelope is parametrically optimised to balance thermal mass, insulation and ventilation according to the climate needs.

Born from a research project by Mario Cucinella (Founder and Creative Director of Mario Cucinella Architects) and through the vision of Massimo Moretti (Founder of WASP), TECLA responds to the increasingly serious climate emergency, to the need for sustainable homes at Km0 and to the great global issue of the housing emergency that will have to be faced - particularly in the context of urgent crises generated, for example, by large migrations or natural disasters.

TECLA is a composition of two continuous elements that through a sinuous and uninterrupted sine curve culminate in two circular skylights that convey the ‘zenith light’.

The atypical shape, from the geometry to the external ridges, has enabled the structural balance of the construction - both during the 3D printing phase of the envelope and once the covering is completed - giving life to an organic and visually coherent design.

With an area of about 60 square meters, it comprises a living zone with a kitchen and a night zone which includes services. The furnishings - partly printed in local earth and integrated into the raw-earth structure, and partly designed to be recycled or reused - reflect the philosophy of a circular house model.

Floor planSection

The technological research of WASP, specialised in Km0 3D printing from raw earth, has led to an innovative 3D printing technology called Crane WASP, the first in the world to be modular and multilevel, designed to build construction works collaboratively. TECLA uses two synchronised printer arms simultaneously, thanks to software capable of optimising movements, avoiding collisions and ensuring streamlined operation. Each printer unit has a printing area of 50 square meters which therefore makes it possible to build independent housing modules in a few days.

In brief: TECLA can be delivered with 200 hours of printing, 7000 machine codes (G-code), 350 12 mm layers, 150 km of extrusion, 60 cubic meters of natural materials for an average consumption of less than 6 kW.

Cite: "TECLA Technology and Clay 3D Printed House / Mario Cucinella Architects" 27 Apr 2021. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/960714/tecla-technology-and-clay-3d-printed-house-mario-cucinella-architects&gt ISSN 0719-8884

Tecla house 3D-printed from locally sourced clay

James Parkes | 23 April 2021 Leave a comment

Bologna-based architecture studio Mario Cucinella Architects and 3D printing specialists WASP have collaborated to create a low-carbon housing prototype that is 3D printed using clay.

Named Tecla, a combination of the words technology and clay, the home was designed by Mario Cucinella Architects and was constructed and engineered by Wasp using clay sourced from a nearby riverbed.

Top: Tecla was made by Mario Cucinella Architects and Wasp. Above: the prototype was printed using 350 layers of clay

Printed in Massa Lombarda, Italy, the home is formed of two connected dome-shaped volumes with a ribbed outer wall that is made up of 350 stacked layers of 3D-printed clay.

The clay is arranged in undulating layers that not only provide structural stability but also to act as a thermal barrier.

It is made up of two circular volumes

The prototype was constructed using a multilevelled, modular 3D printer that uses two synchronised arms, each with a 50-square metre printing area that can print modules simultaneously.

Mighty Buildings plans neighbourhood of 3D-printed homes for California

By using this technology, housing modules can be built within 200 hours while consuming an average of six kilowatts of energy and reducing typical construction waste almost entirely said the construction team.

The prototype has a ribbed exterior

According to the studio, the housing prototype combines ancient building techniques with modern technology to form recyclable, low-carbon, climate-adaptable housing.

"TECLA responds to the increasingly serious climate emergency, to the need for sustainable homes and to the great global issue of the housing emergency that will have to be faced," said Mario Cucinella Architects.

"Particularly in the context of urgent crises generated, for example, by large migrations or natural disasters."

The home is topped with a skylight

The 60-square-metre structure is 4.2 metres in height and comprises a living space, kitchen and sleeping area and is fitted with services and a circular skylight on its roof.

Although mainly windowless, its entrance is marked by a glazed door within a large lancet arch.

A large lancet arch marks the entrance to the housing prototype

On its roof, large circular skylights were fitted within its narrowest point allowing light to enter the space throughout the day.

Its interior has a similar organic aesthetic as the walls were left bare with a lancet archconnecting the different zones.

Furnishings were also partly printed using locally sourced earth to unite the space and were designed to be reused or recycled to align with the circular values of the prototype.

The prototype was developed as a response to climate emergency. Photograph is by Italdron

The geometry of its envelope can be adapted and modified to work with different types of raw earth and respond to a variety of different climatic conditions.

"The aesthetics of this house are the result of a technical and material effort," said Cucinella. "It was not an aesthetic approach only. It is an honest form, a sincere form."

The prototypes can be constructed in 200 hours. Photograph is by Italdron

Tecla was developed as part of an eco-sustainability research study that looked to bioclimatic principles and vernacular architecture and construction to produce low-carbon homes.

"TECLA shows that a beautiful, healthy, and sustainable home can be built by a machine, giving the essential information to the local raw material," said Wasp founder, Massimo Moretti.

Undulating curved layers provide structural stability. Photograph is courtesy of Wasp

"We like to think that TECLA is the beginning of a new story," added Mario Cucinella Architects founder and creative director, Mario Cucinella.

"It would be truly extraordinary to shape the future by transforming this ancient material with the technologies we have available today."

In 2019, WASP used its Crane Wasp 3D printer to create a small home constructed using soil and agricultural waste.

Elsewhere, 3Strands and ICON collaborated to build four 3D-printed homes using disaster-proof concrete.

Photography is by Iago Corazza unless stated otherwise.

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Tecla, the first 3D printed earth house, is Italian

An Italian architecture firm and a 3D printing company have collaborated to create the first 3D printed earth house.

Construction of the ecological building took only 200 hours. It has a solid shape and curved walls that make it look like a sea urchin.

Implementation phase of a 3D printed house

Site design ... On site

An interesting 3D printed house project is related to the "challenge" posed by the School of Sustainability: to design an eco-friendly house from natural materials on site.

Wasp, Italy's main 3D printing company, e Mario Cucinella Architects they invented Tecla, which means technology and clay.

WASP is no stranger to these tests: in 2019 he used his Crane Wasp 3D printer to create a small house built from earth and agricultural waste, but the team has been active since 2012. Futuroprossimo followed them. the first "serious" tests since 2015.

3D printed earth house

Two large rooms and a circular skylight

The team built a 60 square meter (approximately 645 square feet) prototype house using local land in a zero waste construction process.

The building did not require transportation of any materials to the site, which avoided the impact of transport on the environment. The 3-layer 350D printed house was built from 60 cubic meters of natural material.

“Tecla is responding to increasingly severe climate emergencies, the need for sustainable homes and the big global housing crisis that will need to be addressed,” says Mario Cucinella Architects.

These corrugated gaps serve to stabilize the structure.

The appeal of a 3D printed house: rustic and modern together

"Black" material works for the perception of naturalness, form for modernity. It tastes like a more low-tech future.

The aesthetics of this house is the result of technical and material efforts. This is not just an aesthetic approach. This is an honest form, a sincere form.
Mario Cucinella Architects

The 3D printed house is missing the canonical windows: in their place are round skylights for large beams of light. Some furniture is built into the structure, such as the counter and the bed. There is even a tree sticking out of the center of the kitchen table.

“We like to think that Tecla is the beginning of a new story,” Cucinella says. “It would be truly extraordinary to shape the future by transforming this ancient material with the technologies available today.”

You are dust, you will live in dust.

Seven 3D printed houses built around the world |

Author: admin | 27.07.2022 - 21:31 | 11/10/2022 Architecture & Design, Building Materials, Construction

3D printing has long been seen as a potential solution for fast and efficient home construction, and now it's becoming a reality.

Here are seven examples of 3D printed houses that have already been built, including a bioplastic microhouse and a house printed from a mixture of soil, straw and rice hulls.

Bioplastic microhouse, The Netherlands.

Dutch architecture studio DUS Architects used sustainable bioplastic to print and build an eight-square-meter microhut in Amsterdam.

The structure used deposition modeling, a form of additive manufacturing commonly used in consumer 3D printers, to create its geometric walls.

Inside the house there is enough space for a small sleeping area with a bed that can be removed when not in use. Outside is a 3D printed bathtub using the same printing technology. Such a micro-home could offer solutions for temporary housing or disaster relief.

When the cabin is no longer needed, it can be destroyed and almost all materials reused.

“The building is a study of compact and sustainable housing solutions in an urban environment,” say the team. “Once used, the bioprinting material can be completely shredded and reprinted in a new design.”

An architecture studio based in Amsterdam is currently in the final stages of building a full-size 3D printed home. This small project gives an idea of what this structure will look like.

Thekla, Italy

In collaboration with WASP 3D printing specialists, Mario Cucinella Architects turned to vernacular architecture and ancient building techniques to create and develop this low-carbon housing prototype. Named Tecla, a combination of the words "technology" and "clay", it was built using clay quarried from a nearby riverbed.

Printed in Massa Lombarda, Italy, the 60-square-meter house consists of two connected domed volumes with a ribbed outer wall composed of 350 layers of 3D printed clay. The clay is arranged in wavy layers that not only provide structural stability but also act as a thermal barrier.

The structure has been fitted with glass doors and a large skylight at the top of each dome that allows light to enter the space.

The studio combined modern technology and local clay to produce houses using a multi-layer 3D printer that can build a structure in 200 hours using just six kilowatts of energy.

According to the studio, the prototype housing combines ancient building methods with modern technology to create recyclable, low-carbon and climate-adapted housing.

“TECLA is responding to an increasingly severe climate emergency, to the need for sustainable homes and to the larger global housing emergency to be faced,” said architect Mario Cucinella.

"Especially in the context of urgent crises caused, for example, by mass migrations or natural disasters."

The 60 square meter building is 4.2 meters high and consists of a living area, a kitchen and a sleeping area, and is equipped with utilities and a circular skylight on the roof.

Although the house is mostly windowless, its entrance is marked by a glazed door inside a large lancet arch.

Its interior has a similar organic aesthetic as the walls are left bare with a lancet arch connecting the different areas.

The furniture was also partially printed using local clay to unify the space and was designed to be reused or recycled to match the circular values of the prototype.

Two-story house, Belgium, Kamp C

This house, located in Westerlo, Belgium, is believed to be the first house to be 3D printed entirely. The two-storey house, eight meters high, has an area of 90 square meters and was built to demonstrate the potential of 3D printing.

The house, printed on the largest concrete 3D printer in Europe, has two floors and was printed on site in just three weeks.

It has been designed as a low energy home and includes ceiling and floor heating, solar panels and a heat pump. Inside, it features a staircase, floor-to-ceiling windows and a ceiling support.

“What makes this house so unique is that we printed it with a stationary 3D concrete printer,” said Kamp C project manager Emiel Assione.

“Other houses that have been printed around the world have only one floor. In many cases, the components were factory printed and assembled on site. However, we printed the entire building envelope in-house.”

According to project manager Marijke Aerts, it was "very easy" to bring the large printer to the printing site at home.

"It takes one day to build it [the printer] and another day to replace it after the job is done," Aerts said. "It works just like installing a mobile crane on a construction site. "

According to the company, in the future, an entire house can be printed in just two days, and 3D-printed houses can be even higher than two stories.

“Our printer supplier COBOD has even made a larger version of the printer so far. Now they are printing a three-story apartment in Germany.”

The Netherlands, Eindhoven University of Technology

This boulder-shaped house, built to be the world's first 3D printed rental house, was the first 3D printed house in Europe to actually be lived in People.

The house was designed by the Dutch architecture studio Houben & Van Mierlo and developed as part of a research project with the Eindhoven University of Technology to increase knowledge about the production of 3D printed houses.

The 94 square meter house includes an open plan kitchen-dining room and a living room that takes up more than half of the floor plan, while a large double bedroom and bathroom are located in the rest of the house.

The scheme will build five 3D printed houses, with each house made more complex by using different printing methods and adding multiple floors.

Gaia, Italy

The 30 square meter house was printed using a mixture of local soil, crushed straw and rice husks obtained from rice production waste.

The 30-square-meter house called Gaia has a 3D printed outer shell and internal wooden beams supporting the wooden roof. It was printed on-site in Massa Lombardo, a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, in October 2018. Rice husks were also used for interior decoration of the building, covering the walls and ceiling of the house, forming a natural plaster. Italian developer of 3D printing technology WASP claims that the final product is biodegradable.

The company also stated that if the house is not looked after, it can easily decompose and fall apart. Agricultural waste could become a major resource for construction and 3D printing.

East 17th Street Residences, USA

Developer 3Strands and construction technology company ICON built four 3D-printed homes in Austin, Texas with concrete designed to withstand extreme weather conditions.

The structures took seven days to print and include many properties with two, three and four bedrooms. When completed, the homes will be decorated by Austin-based interior designer Claire Zinnecker and will include pitched roofs, covered verandas, central heating and air conditioning systems.

3strands is a Kansas City real estate developer and Logan Architecture is an Austin-based design firm founded in 2015.

ICON also completed a series of 3D printed houses in Tabasco, Mexico. The company partnered with the New Story charity to build 500-square-foot (47-square-meter) homes for families in need of shelter.

This community of homes withstood a magnitude 7.4 earthquake in June 2020 without visible damage.

"ICON's proven 3D printing technology provides safer, more resilient homes that are designed to withstand fire, flood, wind and other natural disasters better than conventionally built homes," the company said.

Casa Covida, USA

Emerging Objects used adobe 3D printing to create Casa Covida, an experimental cabin in the San Luis Valley, Colorado, consisting of three interconnected cylindrical volumes.

The hut was designed for two people to live together in isolation during the coronavirus pandemic and features adobe walls made from sand, silt, clay and water printed with a SCARA (Selective Compliance) 3-axis articulated robotic arm.

The house also has an open fireplace and an inflatable pink roof that can be installed if it rains or snows. It was created as an example of how a combination of modern and ancient technology can be used to create a home large enough for two people.

For construction, adobe was sifted by hand and mixed with a concrete mixer, then pumped into a three-axle SCARA and sprayed through a nozzle.

The robotic printer is light enough to be carried by two people and can only be operated by one person using a mobile phone.

Emerging Objects also created the software for the project, which they dubbed Potterware.

A wooden door in the central volume leads to an open space with two earthen benches, called tarima, and an open fireplace for cooking and warming up on cold nights.