Ask any architecture student, 3D printing can be one of the best and worst things about the design studio. Architectural drawings and renderings are necessary, but in order for the concept to really come to life 3D scale models have acted as catalysts for translating the vision. Physical scale models go hand in hand with architecture. However, just as architecture has developed over time so has the technology. 

3D printers have changed the way architects and architecture students alike have communicated their ideas. Ranging in size and capacity, 3D printers can be found in almost every university, institute, and studio. Sci-Arc EDGE student, Laure Michelon, states printers are running "24/7. Everyday. Pretty much everyone has one. There are about 10 printers in our studio." Besides it taking up space, the trials and tribulations of getting the machine set and ready is a whole other ordeal. However, besides the tedious fabrication process, does the 3D printer pose a different kind of stressor to those who use it daily? 

Discussion has sparked the topic of 3D printers and the dangers they may pose to our bodies. Dr. Rodney Weber has spent four years researching this topic in the hopes to understand and create a standardized way of measuring filament particles being emitted into the air. Are some 3D printers "healthier" and friendlier to use? One thing is certain, numerous studies have confirmed that when 3D printers melt plastic filaments to create objects, toxic chemicals are emitted into the air. When airborne, these particles are nearly impossible to see because they are as small as 100 microns. (For reference, they are about 1/10 the diameter of a single bacteria.) 

3D printing filaments are comprised of several different chemicals. Since these filaments are tasked with the job of satisfying the various physical and aesthetic properties of the desired shape, chemicals being released vary. “The mass of the particles produced in an aerosol is orders of magnitude smaller than what you extrude [for a 3D shape],” says Weber. “They mix in all kinds of things.” 

Heat is another factor that affects the hazard these plastic filaments pose on its users. When melted at a specific temperature, the heat affects which chemicals become aerosols. One aspect of their research has shown that the cooler a 3D printer ran, the air quality surrounding the printer was better. It's details like these that Dr. Weber hopes will influence 3D print manufactures when developing new printer models.

In conclusion, how worried should we be when it comes to 3D printers? Should we resort to the tedious bristol board models every architect recalls making? One thing is certain, ventilation is key! As long as the areas where 3D printing takes place are well ventilated, chances are users will be ok. However, at the end of the day, 3D printers are not the only things that emit dangerous particles. The environment is, unfortunately, filled with hazardous materials that can affect our bodies. However, through studies and a better approach to printer technology hazards can be decreased and awareness increased.