【3D Printing Application】London Design Biennale, 8-meter Large Architectural Relief!
8-meter large 3D printed relief! The University of Tokyo's Department of Architecture exhibited innovative designs at the 2021 London Design Biennale. The architectural education laboratory "T-BOX" installed six Ultimaker 3D printers, combining 3D scanning with 3D printing to create the project. Watch the process now:
The University of Tokyo's Faculty of Engineering and Sekisui House, Ltd. collaborated to launch the international architectural education laboratory "T-BOX," led by Director Toshiki Hirano. Dedicated to nurturing the next generation of architectural talent, T-BOX chose Ultimaker 3D printers to meet the research requirements of the architecture department. This allows for the 3D printing of 3D modeling data designed by students for prototyping and design practice.
In the past, with traditional manufacturing methods, architecture departments did not have production facilities equipped with technological manufacturing tools. Students could only choose to purchase 3D printers themselves or rely mainly on manual production. Now, with T-BOX and six Ultimaker 3D printers in the workspace, teachers and students can easily design and produce their prototype samples. All ideas can be quickly transformed and modified into actual products, without being constrained by the complexity of shapes, and then used for presentations.
For the 2021 London Design Biennale, Toshiki Hirano collaborated with students to design Japanese architecture. The artwork showcases various objects from the cities of Tokyo and London. Elements such as Tokyo's Maneki-neko, Kaminarimon, cicadas, and taiyaki, as well as London's Underground, post boxes, and pubs, were all 3D scanned into 3D data. These were then produced using Ultimaker 3D printers with Ultimaker white PLA filament.
"In the past, I thought that 3D scanning models with complex shapes were usually difficult to 3D print successfully. Since using Ultimaker 3D printers, even the most complex details can be produced with exquisite results," said Toshiki Hirano, who printed the artwork in 6 sections and then assembled them.
(Using Ultimaker 3D printers to create a 1/10 scale model of the London Biennale artwork)
Mr. Hirano stated that the original scanned data for the finished product was as high as 1TB, and even when scaled down, a single panel still occupied at least 300 MB. The files were very large, yet the Ultimaker Cura software still operated smoothly when slicing the files; Ultimaker, from hardware to software, is very suitable for producing large-scale projects with complex details!
After deciding to install Ultimaker into T-BOX and using it, we found that Ultimaker 3D printers are compatible with various 3D printing filaments and exhibit excellent printing accuracy and speed. Even with minimal experience and knowledge, users can intuitively follow the instructions within the equipment and software to design works according to their needs.
Mr. Hirano stated, "We never thought 'architectural research' would require using '3D printers,' but as we integrated this technology, we found that it not only greatly helps with research and production, but also plays an increasingly important role in the global architectural field. Now, 3D printing has become a major helper in the design cycle for architects and students."
Since the advent of 3D printing, it has reshaped many industries, from manufacturing, construction, automotive to aerospace. From rapid prototyping in the past to stable additive manufacturing today, the technology has become increasingly mature. 3D printing technology has also widely spread to universities around the world, providing students and faculty with faster and more convenient production processes. 3D printing has innovated the architectural field and is creating new standards for future living.
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