Lecturer Çiğdem Gök Evaluated the Reflections of 3D Printer Technology on Architecture

Lecturer Çiğdem Gök talked about the features and available materials of the three-dimensional printer technology, which is used extensively in many sectors today, and evaluated the reflections of this technology on architecture both in the design and production stages as follows.

“As a result of the rapid progress of technology and its reflection on almost every sector in recent years, great innovations and developments in the fields of design and production stand out. These developments have provided positive returns to human life, especially in terms of time and workforce. Computer-aided software programs also contribute to this progress and are used extensively in architectural fields. On this axis, 3D printers, which were invented towards the end of the 1970s, are one of the technological innovations that contribute to architecture. In 1982, a solid material was printed for the first time, and the first 3D printer was produced in 1984 by Charles Hull, the founder of 3D System Corp. While it was initially used only as a prototype due to its high cost, 3D printers developed by different scientists and companies over time have been used in many different fields such as medicine, automotive, dentistry, education, and have now been used effectively in construction and architecture in the last 10 years. has been.

3D printers, which vary in material, use materials such as ceramic, metal, plastic, sand and cement. The diversity of materials in 3D printers has enabled the production of furniture in interior architecture, model making, three-dimensional panels, decorative products, lighting, accessories, as well as large building productions in architecture such as houses, offices and bridges. The advantages of using a 3D printer are many. Production of unlimited designs with complex geometries, no post-production assembly required (performed in a single operation during the production phase), fast delivery of the product or structure as a result of instant production, the possibility of on-site production thanks to compact and portable systems, and high precision production possibilities.

Some of the advantages that 3D printing technology brings to architecture are the use of the construction elements produced by the system without the need for mold and mold work, allowing the formation of ready-made surfaces that can be passed directly to the paint stage without the need for plastering, thus providing great savings in terms of time, labor and cost. At the same time, it makes a significant contribution to the production of environmentally friendly and sustainable buildings due to the absence of construction waste.

One of the structures that are modeled and printed on 3D printers with a special concrete production without the use of steel reinforcement is a single-storey office building produced in Dubai in 17 hours. In 2015, a 3D printer with a height of 6.6 meters, a width of 10 meters and a length of 40 meters was used by a Chinese company for the production of a 5 storey building of 2200 square meters. In 2017, 'the world's first bridge produced with 3D printer technology' was built for a small stream in Amsterdam using a 3D printer. Today, housing production has also started and active use has begun.

Considering the advantages that 3D printer technology provides to architecture, especially in terms of time, manpower and sustainability, it is an inevitable fact that the use of 3D printers will increase rapidly in the future.“

We would like to thank Lecturer Çiğdem Gök for her valuable comments and contributions.