Archinect - News2024-11-24T02:14:21-05:00https://archinect.com/news/article/150077859/the-lotus-house-explores-the-potential-of-3d-printing-for-sustainable-construction
The Lotus House Explores the Potential of 3D Printing for Sustainable Construction Liam Otten2018-08-15T12:21:00-04:00>2024-03-15T01:45:58-04:00
<img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/63/631716ffa54f03f71180aeee894e06f0.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>From consumer goods to medical devices, <a href="https://archinect.com/news/tag/475/3d-printing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">3D printing</a> is reshaping the manufacturing world. But what about construction? Could this technology change the way buildings are made?</p>
<p>That’s the question posed by a team from Washington University in St. Louis. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WashUSolarDecathlon/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Over the past eight months</a>, students from the <a href="https://archinect.com/schools/cover/17418/washington-university-in-st-louis" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts</a> and the <a href="https://engineering.wustl.edu/Pages/home.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">School of Engineering & Applied Science</a> — with support from the <a href="https://incees.wustl.edu/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">International Center for Energy, Environment and Sustainability (InCEES)</a>— have used 3D printing to design and fabricate elements of Lotus House, an energy-efficient prototype residence unveiled this month as part of <a href="https://www.solardecathlon.gov/international-china.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Solar Decathlon China 2018</a>.</p>
<p>In this Q&A, project manager Kinga Pabjan, a master’s candidate in architecture and construction management, discusses Lotus House, 3D printing and the future of sustainable construction.</p>
<figure><p><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/23/23f88a66ca75c16016e005a4118e581d.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1028" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/23/23f88a66ca75c16016e005a4118e581d.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=514"></a></p><figcaption>Project manager Kinga Pabjan. (Courtesy Team WashU)</figcaption></figure><p><strong>Describe Lotus House. What inspired the design?</strong><br></p>
<p>Lotus House is a 650-square-foot, single-story home. The...</p>