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Dig then print your own house

  • by JW

… the first 3D-printed construction of a fully natural, recyclable, and carbon-neutral material: raw earth.

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There are all sorts of natural materials better suited to building than concrete – such as hemp:

Grow your own house – Vision Group for Sidmouth

Or stone:

The New Stone Age: ancient material: tiny carbon footprint – Vision Group for Sidmouth

Or earth and straw:

Ottery builder claims ‘king of the cob’ title from Grand Design presenter after biggest ever build – Vision Group for Sidmouth

A lot of these materials are traditional, are a way of celebrating the vernacular – but are also very much about sustainability:

Heritage and the environment in Sidmouth – Vision Group for Sidmouth

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In Italy, a variant on West Country cob has just gone very hi-tech:

A recent collaboration between the team of Mario Cucinella Architects (MC A) and WASP, specialists in 3D Printing in Italy, has resulted in the first 3D-printed construction of a fully natural, recyclable, and carbon-neutral material: raw earth. The circular housing prototype is called TECLA and it was built in Massa Lombarda (Ravenna, Italy) using multiple 3D printers synchronized to work at the same time.