Researchers at Virginia demonstrate how to “3D-print their roofs and walls using soil implanted with seeds” [2].?
Kewl!
Of course, there has been quite a bit of work on “3D printing” buildings—twenty first century adobes—on Earth and elsefabriwhere. And “living roofs” have been a thing for a long, long time. Even farms on the roof.
But 3D printing with soil+seeds, to make “oversized Chia Pets” [2], er, I mean, “ecologically active soil structures” [1]. That’s a bit different.
Now, I’m not completely sure that I want to live in a house that has stuff growing in the walls, especially if the walls, roof, etc., need to be kept damp. But having the outer surfaces sprouting might be nice, though I’m not sure how well this would work in a hot, dry year. I mean, this summer my mud+seed house would be brown, crispy, and probably a fire hazard.
Looking at this technology, I note that it might lead to some interesting landscaping ideas. “Printing out” gardens with elevation and complex toplology could be interesting. Terracing—no problem. Raised beds—easy, peasy.
Given how important water is to this concept, not just in laying down the initial forms, but also in sustaining the plants, I would think that this should integrate with drip irrigation systems. E.g., lay down low flow hose surrounded by structural mud, so the structure can be easily watered, from the inside out.
Anyway, neat stuff.
- Spencer Barnes, Leah Kirssin, Elizabeth Needham, Ebsan Baharlou, David E. Carr, and Ji Ma, 3D printing of ecologically active soil structures. Additive Manufacturing, 52:102670, 2022/04/01/ 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2022.102670
- Karen Walker, Playing With Dirt Leads to Big Potential for Sustainable Buildings, in UVAToday, July 27, 2022. https://news.virginia.edu/content/playing-dirt-leads-big-potential-sustainable-buildings
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