3D printed architecture 

Californian architects Smith|Allen created this installation, which they claim is the first inhabitable architectural structure to be produced on standard 3D printers.

The structure was assembled in a redwood forest in Mendocino County, California in August 2013. 

What is different about Echoviren is the system itself – instead of using huge printers, the architects looked at aggregation as the most efficient construction system.

the 10 x 10 x 8 feet structure consists of over 500 snap-together parts that were produced by seven 3D printers over a period of two months.

Each of the structure’s components was made from the PLA bio-plastic that takes 30 to 50 years to fully decompose. The pyramidal sections make up the self-supporting circular wall that has the top part functioning as a compression ring. The pattern used for the structure was inspired by and based on cellular forms of sequoia cells, which allows for a great amount of strength while maintaining minimal volume.

The team used 7 of the Type A Machines Series 1 printers and worked with Ron Rael at Emerging Objects and at Berkeley to develop new materials. All attempts to built the structure using ZCorp, BFBs or Makerbots failed or were too costly. According to Allen, the Series 1 enabled the designers to 3D print large pieces reliably and at an acceptable price.

The designers pictured it as a structure that will integrate with the forest over time and become a micro-habitat for insects, moss and birds. In an interview for Dezeen, Bryan Allen called it “a technological echo, a reflection, and specter of life and of the forest.”

http://www.archdaily.com/419306/echoviren-smith-allen/
http://vimeo.com/72765769