March 2021 - ParametricArchitecture

WASP – Creating Sustainable Habitats through 3D Printing

An Italy-based Company, WASP blends sustainability with 3D Printing to create designs that are both thought-provoking yet humane.

WASP’s Vision

Their core being into 3D Printing, WASP envisioned a small as well as fats printer that could materialize an object made from bioplastic, silicone, clay, and biocompatible materials while milling wood and aluminum. This was done to create mini-productions by the user by themselves.

This vision was further enhanced to create a research group that rethinks the traditional building methods and creates a new one, using eco-friendly, sustainable as well as functional materials through an innovative approach. WASP aims to build large-scale ‘zero miles’ homes using local materials which can be built by using portable machinery that uses infinite resources i.e. sun, wind, and water.

This Vision was further broadened when they created BigDelta, a 12-meter high giant printer in 2015. This was to be used to build entire homes. Followed by this, in 2016 WASP made a Maker Economy Starter Kit which was a giant construction system that could create large dynamic designs through 3D Printing. In 2018, Crane WASP a collaborative 3d printing system was able to print entire houses at one go.

“WASP takes inspiration from the potter wasp. We build 3D printed houses using earth found on the spot, under a sustainable perspective. The oldest material and a state of the art technology merge to give new hope to the world. Gaia, our first 3D printed house made with raw earth, was born a year ago. Today with our partners we are printing TECLA an entire eco-sustainable habitat. The planet is asking for a joint project that we share with Mario Cucinella.”, says Massimo Moretti, founder of WASP. (Archdaily)

After this, a range of 3d printers was created by them, each with a dynamic sense of precision and digital craft with minimum use of energy. PowerWASP a fast, versatile and economical 3D printer could also print ceramic mixtures, followed by the 3D Delta WASP Printers.

After a string of 3d printers, WASP grew into varied departments of research to customize their 3d printing technology in an array of domains. Here are a few of them:-

3D Printing in Medicine

WASP Med has formed four years ago with a collaboration of doctors, bio-engineers, orthopedic experts, manufacturers, etc to create 3d printing services in the health sector.

The digital orthopedic laboratory was thus created to have a low-cost solution to offering skills and instruments for advanced medical devices. The DeltaWASP 4070 INDUSTRIAL 4.0 was another by-product of WASP Med that is a professional 3D printer that prints up to 70 cm high to create new technical materials in the health sector.

Ceramic 3D Printing

The use of ceramic materials has always been one of the core factors in WASP. A core of additive manufacturing, the WASP team laid down fluid dense materials like clay through a Liquid Deposition Modeling process creating massive designs that are no less than a work of art!

Diverse materials like clay, aluminum, porcelain, zirconium, and advanced ceramic were explored to improve the craft further.

Ceramic Art and 3D printing thus formed a crossover that led to collaborations with many artists internationally to create art pieces. The English artist Jonathan Keep along with Ivo Sassi, a ceramist, and celebrity wanted to cook and decorate 3D Printed items with WASP. The Artist Francesco Pacelli also experimented with WASP Laboratories.

WASP Academy

To spread the awareness of 3D printing services, WASP also started their very own academy for customers as well as the user group who wished to diversify their skills. From basic courses to advanced workshops and alternative courses, there is one for everyone.

There are also Clay 3d printing courses and coursework related to the medical sector.

3D printing for Energy

WASP created the Feel the Peel, in which you can drink orange juice from an orange peel cup. To create the cups the bio-plastic is melted to form a 3D Printed filament. Here the Delta WASP 2040 INDUSTRIAL 4.0 was used.

WASP created the Feel the Peel ©CarloRatti

“The principle of circularity is a must for today’s objects,” explains Carlo Ratti.

“Working with Eni, we tried to show circularity in a very tangible way, by developing a machine that helps us to understand how oranges can be used well beyond their juice.” (WASP)

Along with this, they have also created a 3D Printed Stove that has zero carbon emission.

3D Printing in Architecture

Round Houses of Raw Earth: 3D Printing Sustainable Homes ©Archdaily

WASP with their 3D giant printers has diversified their expertise to create houses with materials that are found on-site and have a zero cost tending. One of their recent projects was TECLA, which is a prototype of a 3D Printed habitat that is launched near Bologna, Italy. Designed by Mario Cucinella Architects, this innovative model intends to create future housing by requesting the prerequisites through sustainable, efficient, and low-cost methods.

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The project was printed on-site using the Crane WASPin the most sustainable way to create this eco-housing. Thus, TECLA became the first house fabricated by using multiple 3d printers helping to create the broad vision of an autonomous city shortly.

TECLA, the new 3D printed house ©3DNatives

As its developers explain, “each printing unit has a printing area of 50 square meters, making it possible to build independent living modules of any shape and in a few days”.

About The Founders

Massimo Moretti

The CEO of Wasp, Moretti grew up in a small mechanical laboratory at home and later graduated as an electronic technician. He started developing products in collaboration with various research centers, universities, R & D, and companies to create industrial automation projects, 3D modeling in the field of interior designs, cosmetics, and chemistry.

He started approaching 3d printing in 2000, in 2012 he put together a team of young designers to create an innovative organization called WASP (World’s Advanced Saving Project)

“Together with WASP, we aim at developing an innovative 3D-printed prototype for a habitat that responds to the increasingly urgent climate revolution and the needs of changes dictated by community needs. We need a paradigm shift in the field of architecture that gets closer to the needs of people, thus finding an answer for the “Earth” within the “earth”. A collaboration that becomes the union between empathic architecture and the application of new technologies.”, says Mario Cucinella, founder of Mario Cucinella Architects. (Archdaily)

Awards

2020 – Fondazione SYMBOLA premia WASP fra le 100 Italian Architectural Conservation Stories
2020 – EIT Manufacturing premia WASP nella BoostUp Regional Final, categoria TRANSFORM
2019 – Fondazione SYMBOLA premia WASP fra le 100 Italian stories for future building
2018 – WASP fra le 100 Europe’s Digital Champions secondo il Financial Times
2016 – Delta WASP 2040 sul podio nella 3D Printer Guide di 3D Hubs
2016 – Premio Aquila d’Oro a Massimo Moretti
2015 – Delta WASP sul podio di 3dhubs.com
2015 – Crowdy Award per la migliore stampante 3D italiana Delta WASP 2040
2013 – Wasp vince Green Award al Printshow di Londra.
2013 – Premio a Massimo Moretti – Imprenditore 2.0

About the Series

ParametricArchitecture in this series explores global 3D Printing organizations and firms that are building the future of computational design most astoundingly and innovatively. From ICON to AI SPACE FACTORY, and much more.

About the ParametricArchitecture

Parametric Architecture is a reputed publishing platform that has taken an innovative approach to reach and inspire our thoughts of a future, where we design to co-exist in functional, productive, and comfortable surroundings. PA is a media company that researches art, architecture, and design that are visualized through computational, parametric, and digital design paradigms. These tools define and distinctly delineate how a system interacts in a coded language that will lead to envisage better environments for a better tomorrow.

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3d printers 3d printing 3d printing in medicine BigDelta ceramic 3d printing GEN Mario Cucinella Mario Cucinella Architects Massimo Moretti WASP

Jaggedly Slashing Medical Research Centre by Lyons Architects in Australia

The boisterous edifice of ‘John Curtin School of Medical Research’ basks in a structural drama enveloped about its complementing landscape. Australian architecture firm Lyons creatively conceived the research laboratory to enrich interaction and collaboration. Based at the Australian National University, the building strikingly located in Canberra evokes an intrinsic form staggered yet organically weaved as a low-rise structure.

The research centre integrates research facilities, exhibition areas, and a 200-seat public lecture theatre stretched linearly. As you enter, vast atria enfold the visitors booming in a voluminous aura to promote social exchange and fraternization. In addition, the building features a series of internal zones interweaved by stairways and voids.

The exterior shell ascribes angular glass and steel fins expanding and streaming outwards, channelling the form a spirited sense of movement and orientation. Alternating panels slashed along the zigzagging façade indeed gradually reveal the spaces’ inner-drama, marvelling the viewer as they approach.

Furthermore, digitally rendered concrete panels tailored on the side and rear elevations epitomize the school’s research work as conceptually simplified icons of molecules and codified representations of the DNA strand.

Flexibly designed interiors instil laboratories that can accommodate small and large groups. Moreover, these spaces consent to undertake research adhering to various protocols. Alongside, office areas coupled with zones for independent analysis and support staff spaces confers next to the labs. Lyons Architects arrangement and skilful planning of the research centre deliver as a structurally integrated and highly efficient workplace.

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Australia facade GEN Lyons Architects Research Centre

Melike Altinisik Architects Unveils Istanbul’s Futuristic Supertall TV & Radio Tower

A sculptural and organic ultramodern obelisk unveils to define Istanbul’s city profile, invigorating a sense of motion and rhythm. Melike Altinisik Architects conceived the Istanbul Tower reflecting the contextual scenario and natural setting.

A wavy pattern encased within the urban fabric stands strikingly tall, revelling in its twists and turns. In addition, the architectural embellishment entertains elegance and beauty composed using math computations and geometric analysis. The prime design factors indeed invoke the movement of the wind, flowing terrains and scenic vistas. The innovative segments are coupled with inhabitable spaces within, attached to the tower’s core.

Advanced engineering techniques, features, planning, and construction methods are persuaded to seek the architects’ ultimate vision. ‘A building that turns into a space of dialogue and exploration’ quoted by MAA reflects the inherent ideologies enveloped about the tower. Moreover, the tower houses two stories of 360-degree panoramic views. Subsequently, at this level, a restaurant and observation deck confers into the slender structure with fine dining and savoury.

The Charming Interiors

The interior spaces open to an expansive podium integrated with a public foyer, café and exhibition spaces. In addition, the tower includes unique areas pertaining to futuristic characters involved in the sublime experience. Istanbul Tower indeed create surprising encounters establishing solid relationships at various spots by the assimilation of light, nature and spatial configurations. Moreover, these novel philosophies alter human perspectives and drive them to think differently and be hopeful.

The interior segments in white bands, bend and bulge and bow in parametric arcs enhancing the spaces’ fluidic motion. Furthermore, these frames even curved to form furniture and décor at the peripheries. The new landmark structure coupled with functional aesthetics dwell in its glory, emanating signals and network waves to transform the world. The Istanbul TV and Radio Tower expect to open doors in the late spring of 2021.

Project Details

Architect: MELIKE ALTINISIK ARCHITECTS – MAA
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Director: Melike Altınışık
Design Team: Melike Altınışık in collaboration with Daniel Widrig
Architects: Özge Çağlayan, Tuğba Okçuoğlu, Ayça Yontarım
Photography: NAARO
Area: 29000m2

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GEN istanbul Istanbul's Tall TV & Radio Tower melike altinisik Melike Altinisik Architects

Studio PIG Designs Stifling Planes, Volumes & Voids of Ya Space! Inspired By Memphis Styles

Invoking the Memphis ambience in glory, Studio PIG Design, based in China, fashioned a showroom for the Memphis Milano furniture brand in Hangzhou, China. Dashing and vibrant interiors ingeniously crafted to evoke a feisty setting of the ‘Memphis’ to the customers.

Towering two-storeys, named Ya Space! The design captivates from its angular façade that screams as an exhibition space and furniture showroom denoting the Italian design and architecture group. In addition, the idea of a cliff informed on the building’s façade uses corrugated stainless steel sheets. The name inspired by the city’s nickname Bluff city refers to several nearby bluffs or cliffs on the Mississippi River. Besides, cliff, pronounced as Ya in Cantonese, echoes the nickname and conveys an incredible feeling.

The design configures unpredictable sensory experiences of Memphis furniture. Coupled with a spherical doorway sliced into the stainless steel facade primes into the showroom, which induces the Memphis Group’s image.

Li Wenqiang, Founder of PIG Design, says, “We hope that what customers feel in the space is not the ordinary white box exhibition hall but a totally different perception, one that makes the customers feel the atmosphere of Memphis,”

Dashing & Vibrant Interiors

Inside the Ya Space, the designers have enrolled a series of spaces separated by archways and geometric forms, complementing and contrasting their yellow, grey, and black colour schemes. Patrons arrive in the foyer space chiselled using the black-stone floor. Simultaneously a trail runs along, sculpting three grey geometric blocks slashing into the main exhibition area.

The main gallery entered through a grey archway elates over a triangular archway at the room’s centre. Four raised platforms triangularly expanded from the walls exhibit furniture items matching those forms. A small counter for a coffee shop is provided at the rear, abutted by four stout grey pillars. A grey staircase runs alongside, incorporating a golden bannister elevating to the first-floor level.

The upper space flaunts a series of geometric forms in grey. The exhibits ensembles about a central grey column with triangular, curved and pyramid shapes dividing the volumes.

The Memphis Group highlights the design as a homage. Wenqiang believes that the showroom will flaunt as a compelling alternative to plentiful minimal exhibition spaces that have risen in recent years.

The concept of Ya Space being bounded by the frigid Nordic panache blended with neutral elegance and chic minimalism creates a visual splash, and the Memphis style fashions a solid dramatic impact.

Project Details:

Design firm: PIG Design
Chief designer: Li Wenqiang
Design firm: Tan Shijie, Cheng Liang, Zhu Yiyun, Chen Yunyun, Liu Ruonan, Wang Keke
Construction firm: Hangzhou Dianchang Decoration Engineering
Photography: Shao Feng
Lighting Design: Hangzhou Licheng Lighting Engineering / Young Lighting Design
Furniture brand: Memphis
Lighting fixture design: Li Wenqiang

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GEN Memphis Styles PIG Designs Ya Space

ICON – Innovating for Humanity’s Future Through 3D Printing Technologies

ICON, an Austin – based startup, by using the advances in 3D Printing robotic, materials, and software, develops construction technologies that are helping advance humanity. However, their core resorts in their innovative and generative methods. From making their 3D printed home designs to collaborating with Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), ICON has enhanced its 3D Printing technology to a newfound level.

3D Print 3d printed 3D Printed Homes 3d printing BIG Bjarke Ingels Group GEN ICON parametric design

Bahai Temple: Hariri Pontarini Architects Awaken A Novel Spiritual Vision

Faith triggers a capacious expression when confronted by an architectural aura. Our world needs a yearning to come together, connect and move our collective spirit. The Bahai temple envisioned by Hariri Pontarini Architects sits strikingly on Santiago’s edge, nestling along the Andes’ spines as a timeless and inspiring structural dome. Articulated in the architectural language of space and light, form and material, the structure implores Bahai philosophy and teaching interpretation.

The Temple with universal access coupled with spiritual and emotional factors transcend the architectural philosophy by Hariri Pontarini Architects. The project is the eighth and final continental Temple of the Bahai faith commissioned by the Bahai House of Justice. The design concept subsequently revolves around communal emotions, inviting everyone to one pooled capsule of life.

The striking form wraps the dome with its distinct landscape, seeking to come alive with an embodied illumination. Every flap of its nine identical and elegantly torqued wings indeed soars high with an oculus, distilling spiritual essence crowned from the top. The real enigma in addition emotes a buoyant crusade about its central axis, stating a pearl of permanence wisdom. The numerous openings on all nine sides, figuratively and symbolically chant the theme of human connectivity.

Summoning The Spiritual Aura

Adhering to the Temple’s subtle landscape, the interiors imbibe an ecstatic spirit in everyone as they arrive. The life bound in the voluminous shell sparks soft light seeping and filtering through its reflective glass facades. Furthermore, the refined marble interior of the wings bathes visitors in warmth and compassion. The vaulted lines of the wooden benches summons people to assemble and sit next to one another in quiet contemplation and share the communal act of human affluence.

A mezzanine alcoved above permits those solitude seekers to gather themselves while trailing the community’s interconnectivity below. The structure integrates intimate and delicate engineering that rigidifies the design. Thus it withholds the harsh weather in this earthquake-prone region for at least 400 years. Many artisans, engineers and craftsmen from Canada, US, Europe, Chile, and a team of global volunteers achieved this extraordinary feat. Like the building itself, the process moreover draws people together in unity and unwavering belief of spirit. Furthermore, they become the embodiment of human aspiration for harmony within miscellany.

The Bahai Temple has established significance attracting over million visitors to cherish the essentiality of the place within the Chilean social landscape, hosting community clubs, youth outreach programs and children’s activities in partnership with the public schools. The Bahai Temple is moreover a timeless place where people feel at home, embrace their beliefs, and elevate humanity to the stars.

Project Name: Bahai Temple
Lead Design Architect: Siamak Hariri, Partner-In-Charge
Architects: Hariri Pontarini Architects
Local Architect: Benkal y Larrain Arquitectos
Stone Fabrication: EDM
Landscape Architect: Juan Grimm
Structural Consultant: Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, Halcrow Yolles, EXP, Patricio Bertholet M.
Mechanical & Electrical Consultant: MMM Group
Plumbing Consultant: Videla & Asociados
HVAC Consultant: The OPS Group

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Bahá’í Temple GEN Hariri Pontarini Architects

Multigeneration Living Project by BAUWEISE Architektur

Text description provided by architects. Multigeneration Living Project by BAUWEISE Architektur is characterized by a well-balanced mixed use of living and working, trade and service. The floor zones in the direction of Babelsbergerstraße are provided for shops, catering, and workplaces, but the living areas are on the upper floor. The reason for the separation of areas is to solve the problem with the public and private spaces. All of these areas are formed to an orthogonal complete house. The different multiple floors of the flats build the fundament of “puzzles of housing”.

Due to the flats, which are orthogonal and horizontal nested, the nesting of the ground plan and section are equal, so that the geometrical arrangement resembles the classic Tetris game. This is a kind of drafting procedure, which allows us to say, that the rooms of a house can be realised and organize as a spatial relation.

The purpose isn’t the arrangement of living spaces on the floor plan level, it is more about the three-dimensional interdependence. Therefore, the facade is a space-creating element, which reflects inside, the interaction between in- and exterior. It can be noticed that the interior, inter alia, is defined by the incidence of light and shadow zones.

Project: Multigeneration Living
Ort: Potsdam – Germany
Gross floor area: 2.400 m2
Realization: 2024
Architect: BAUWEISE Architektur
Website: www.bauweise-architektur.de

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GEN

Elegance & Grace: Lacime Architects Raises the Curtain To An Elemental Exhibition Hall

It looks like a magic cloth wrapped over a box waiting to be risen and revealed from afar. Xiangcheng District Planning Exhibition Hall represents an elemental charisma, sitting calm and serene about a body of water. Lacime Architects have encased a cultural magnificence, capturing the supreme majestic scenery in southeast China, also featuring its architecture as “Elegance and Grace”.

Suzhou’s culture dates back to more than 2500 years. The place’s reputation builds rich material wealth along with a brilliant chapter about the distinctive traditional culture. The Planning Exhibition Hall indeed sits to the east of Suzhou North Railway Station, which is an open base, south to Nantiancheng Road, east to Chengyang Road and north of Beijing-Shanghai High-speed railway. In addition, it covers an area of 1.17 hectares with 6030 sq.m floorage.

The Suzhou North Railway Station booms and moves nearly billions of passengers every year. As soon as the high-speed train decelerates down before cracking into the station, the exhibition hall reveals a charming glance to pique the passengers’ curiosity. The unique location has seeped more advantages. Each facade carries a charm of intrigue and excellence in uplifting a curtain raise’s passion before an event. The design team researched two ways; as a garden and some enclosed elements applied in space constraints to achieve space hierarchy. The adaptation leads to another way of setting a point to make the design a whole without scattering and grow into a city landmark and visual focus!

The Design Concept

A simple and powerful shape for the building can reveal the profound meaning of “confidence” for the owners, the government and all those who work for the high-speed rail new town project. The exterior curtain wall furthermore composed of vertical components enriches the elegance and dynamic effect, implying “the curtain rise”.

The building’s height aligns in line with the high-speed rail. The overall measures range to be 46 meters in proportion to the column span and other factors. The exterior skin in contrast revels in aluminium square rods build of standard segments with illuminating outer appearance, size and spacing corresponding to the column net. Moreover, each rod splits into five equal parts with the inner side treated using dark lines, and its ends curl and twirl, making the building move in a flexible, soft, and ceremonial motion.

The landscape in addition emphasizes the application of waterscape, ensuring instilling reflection along the main path leading to the building’s main entrance on the side. The sophisticated curved profile of the building inverted in the water indeed captivates and enthrals the visitors. The outer appearance concept resonates with a musical instrument called Marimba, invoking the building as solidified music. The designers hope that this small building can play splendid music alongside the water and sky.

Architects: Lacime Architects
Area: 6030 m²
Photographs: Shengliang Su, Qilin Zhang
Interior Design: Quan Huang, G-Art Design
Interior Designer: Quan Huang
Architect In Charge: Hu Cheng
Design Team: Dezhen Kong, Zhihao Jin
City: Suzhou
Country: China

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china Exhibition GEN Lacime Architects suzhou

Woods Bagot and Diller Scofidio + Renfro Announced A New Cultural Paradigm in Adelaide

Woods Bagot and Diller Scofidio + Renfro‘s design scored as the winning entry for the Adelaide Contemporary International design competition. The designers enlighten it as a new cultural paradigm highlighting the past, present, and future of Aboriginal cultures, moreover celebrating the contemporary arts and events across varied disciplines.

The design proposes to set on Kaurna land. The arts and cultural centre intend to spring its design concept from the “wurlie” or “humpy,” temporary shelters used by Aboriginal Australians. The exterior shell furthermore imitates an intertwined “basket-like nest” that sits atop strong columns affixing the structure with an expansive courtyard at its epicentre. The building rises three-stories, housing exhibition spaces along with areas for gathering and performances.

Designer’s Thoughts

“Our role is to listen and translate the ARG aspirations and ambitions into a design response. The architecture evokes a sense of welcome to all visitors – particularly First Nations peoples – and a connection to culture offered through the human experience,” says Rosina Di Maria, principal of Woods Bagot.

The AACC explores 7,000 square metres of innovative exhibition spaces stacked and ranged in varying volumes. The natural light element blissfully strikes views of the natural surroundings to blend seamlessly inside and outside.

“We’re thrilled to be part of this ground-breaking vision to create a place of pride that authentically honours the oldest living cultures on the planet. This first-of-its-kind project has taken on a new life with our continued collaboration with the Aboriginal community and other stakeholder groups, as well as our Australian design partner Woods Bagot. The AACC will welcome visitors through a radically open ground floor into a safe space with storytelling at its heart. It will be a building of the 21st century while remaining agile enough to allow future generations to evolve their storytelling,” adds Charles Renfro of DS+R.

The design has transformed through exciting changes, predominantly in the facade’s inclusive appearance and woven skin concept—the project’s expected to open its doors in 2025.

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Aboriginal cultures Adelaide Adelaide Contemporary International design competition arts and cultural centre Australia Diller Scofidio + Renfro GEN Woods Bagot

PA Talks 37 – Arthur Mamou-Mani

Arthur Mamou-Mani, a world-renowned London-based architect was a part of an intriguing session in the PA Talks series with Hamid Hassanzadeh, founder of PA discussing his careers, inspirations, 3D Printing, Eco-Parametric Architecture, and his educational studio at the PAACADEMY.

Arthur Mamou-Mani Eco Parametric Architecture Eco Parametric Structures GEN Mamou-Mani Pa Talks Studio Mamou Mani