Ar. Sourabh Gupta Principal Architect, Archohm

“3D printing is a clever new tool that can be economical, efficient and sustainable.”

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3D PRINTED HOUSES

3D printed homes are no longer a distant dream. Pavilions are already being built through 3D printing. We are in this transition phase. Although concrete is not likely to get totally redundant, yet it will surely get faster, smarter, cleaner, more experimental. A good example of this is the transparent concrete. As we move towards a more sustainable, biodegradable, contextual world, concrete in the near future also has the potential to emit light, cooling, and insulation. I think pretty much everything can be 3D printed, at least, as far as fixed fixtures are concerned. A singular monolithic mass — whether in wood or fiberglass, that wraps around to give you the shelf, the beds, the bath — is the vision for the future.

3D printing is indeed a clever new tool. This technology opens up a gamut of possibilities and a complete new way of doing things. It could be economical, efficient and sustainable as well. It can specially be very optimal for specific contexts, for example in places impossible to reach, or where time is short. However, the viability of this tool is contextual. In a country like India where money is a concern and the population huge; and things tend to happen manually. Labour is cheaper and freely available here. This is why steel construction is popular in Europe and concrete in India.