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New 3D Print Technology for the Construction of Houses

A new 3D printer technology has been developed lately to allow the construction of a house by printing part by part of the building and putting them together.

There is a specific video where illustrates and explains the new technology by the developers, as well as showing the very first canal house constructed using this technology in Amsterdam.


The printer can print parts with dimensions of 2m x 2m x 3.5m and the material of the parts printed is mixture of bio-plastic with 75% of vegetable oil. The technology has the potential to reduce CO2 emissions due to the eco-friendly material used for the printer as well as the reduction of the production of concrete and other materials. 

In the small clip explains that this technology reduces the construction cost as there is no need for material transfer as the printer will be functioning in-situ.

Furthermore, there is a software that the developers of the technology are developing to allow people in general to design their own houses to make it more personal.

Could this new technology really bring a big benefit to the construction industry due to the materials and cost-reduction that provides? Or could the last point made be the end of Architect's need in the industry as people will be able to design their own houses?

Limits Architects Set to the Range of Projects They Would Take On

I came accross an article calles 'Weapons, Bribes And Dctators: Where Architects Draw The Line' by Fast CoDesign. The article talks about Zaha Hadid's project for the World Cup of 2022, which hundreds of workers that where working on the project have lost their lives. Zaha Hadid defends herself by saying that these matters are out of her control and she cannot do anything for it.

The article continues with 5 Renowned Architects talking about their limits, what building they would refuse to design and what type of projects do they prefer taking.



In my personal opinion and observation, each firm should have a limit to what project they would take. Architects and Designers is a link to saving the planet. Sustainable Design is about designing buildings and projects that will positevily contribute to this planet, that includes to the human population and any other life that populates the earth. If limits are ignored and buildings are designed that will negatively affect the environment, then our chance of making this planet a better place will slowly fade away.


References:
 http://www.fastcodesign.com/3028892/slicker-city/weapons-bribes-and-dictators-where-architects-draw-the-line

Architectural Technology vs Architecture

There are a lot of people that ask me what I am studying and when I tell them that I am an Architectural Technology student they keep staring at me like I am talking nonsense and asking me what is the difference with Architecture. The fact is that most people never heard about this profession, and of course it didn't pass from their mind that behind a great design always hides a great technology that made it real.




What is the difference between architecture and architectural technology? There is fine line between the two subjects, the difference is so simple yet at the same time very complicated.

According to the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT), Architectural Technology is the technical side of design, it can be about how things look but mainly it is about how buildings work. It's all about problem solving and turning conceptual drawings into reality. It's understanding design and the buildability of buildings.

The explanation provided by the CIAT is perfect to explain the job of an architectural technician in just few sentences. The thing is, not everyone is going to understand if you explain it in the exact same words. People are going to understand better with simpler words, after all not everyone is into technology or architecture.


An architect is the creator of the design, the head and the brain. Without him, there is no design, not a great one at least. Everyone who can use the AutoCAD software can design a building, an architect's job is not just to design a building but to design THE building that is going to stand out for the requirements of the concepts.

After the architect finishes with his design, it is the architectural technician's job to determine what foundation system is going to be used for the building, if the building is going to be a steel-framed building or a concrete building, what type of structural system is best to be used, and all the technical details.

An architect in his presentation is going to talk about the design he is going to use and the material he wants to use according to their appearance. While an architectural technician is going to present the details of the buildings that is best to be used, for example, structural plans and detail sections that describe the type of walls, floors or roofs that are going to be used, the type of concrete, insulation and rendering to establish the best possible strength required as well as a good design for the building.

Sometimes an architectural technician can go through a different type of challenge than that of an architect, depending on the buildings position or any limitations the site or design can give him, in that case it is his job to come up with a new technology if it needs to make the architects design possible.

And finally, a more general explanation of what differences the two subjects have is the categories they belong to. Architecture is more like art and the architect is the artist, somebody who is going to create a piece of art, something to stand out. Whereas architectural technology focuses more in the scientific view of the construction of a building and how to materialise that piece of art.