This 3D-printed pavilion is inspired by indigenous shelters & can withstand extreme climates

International architecture studio Hassell teamed up with creative collective to.org and 3D printing studio Nagami to create an astounding prototype for a 3D-printed public pavilion. What makes the pavilion super interesting, is the fact that it’s built using recycled plastic. “The design is the beginning of a larger plan to create a series of pavilions that encourage conversations around material waste and how technology can solve our planet’s most urgent problems,” said Hassell.

Designer: Hassell x Nagami

The 3D-printed pavilion is inspired by indigenous shelters, and functions as a gathering or meeting point for education, reflection, and knowledge. The pavilion can be customized and modified to adjust to a whole range of different climates and settings. The idea for the pavilion was created by Hassell’s Head of Design, Xavier De Kestelier, Manuel Jimenez Garcia, founder of Nagami, an additive manufacturing specialist, and Nachson Mimran, Co-founder & Creative Executive Officer of to.org. They wanted to combat the issue of plastic and create a new way of viewing plastic as a construction material.

Manuel Jimenez Garcia said, “We have more than 5 billion metric tons of plastic waste on our planet. As 3D printing scales up into architecture and construction, we can massively increase the demand for recycled plastics and speed up the cleaning process of our oceans and landfills. We hope this project will contribute to inspiring a new generation of architects to truly believe that a radical change in construction, driven by eco-innovation, is truly possible.”

They utilized computational techniques and 3D printing for fabrication. This ensured that the public pavilion can be customized and modified without incurring any extra cost and allowing it to withstand the local climatic conditions. “The Pavilion pushes the boundaries of 3D printing to create full-scale functional architecture. 3D printing allows higher geometrical freedom compared to most traditional methods of manufacturing. Setting a precedent for the future of design, this architectural freedom allowed the designers to shape the pavilions so that they operate with minimal energy and off the grid,” said the architecture studio.

The 3D-printed pavilion can be easily and efficiently transported and assembled on-site as it comes in 24 individual pieces. Inspired by indigenous shelters, the pavilion is designed to sustainably and efficiently handle harsh temperatures. In case of cold climates, the pavilion will feature an outer skin equipped with fins that are meant to capture snow and provide natural insulation. Whereas in hotter climates, those same fins will provide natural cooling, passive cooling, water harvesting, and cross ventilation.

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This 3D printed portable toilet is made from recycled plastic!

This sustainable toilet is designed to compost solid waste while also tackling the sanitation crisis – using design and technology to do good sh*t! It is a solution that eradicates plastic waste and turns it into a construction material that reduces the load on landfills. The portable toilet is also absolutely beautiful with its white aesthetic and cocoon form! The first 3D printed prototype was produced by an advanced seven-axis robotic printer and is being tested on a construction site in the Swiss Alps.

Created by Spanish design studio Nagami and To: it has been dubbed The Throne and it comprises three parts – a teardrop-shaped body, a dramatic, double-curved sliding door, and a bucket for solid waste. All the parts were printed within three days, including the base and some smaller accessories that were either injection-molded or ordered. It also includes an off-the-shelf separation toilet seat to separate urine from solids for composting.

For the prototype, the teams used discarded plastic medical equipment from European hospitals. “Our treatment of waste, both human and artificial, has a profound impact on the future of humanity and our planet. Since the 1950s roughly 8.3 billion metric tonnes of plastic has been produced, and only around 9% of this has been recycled; the remainder have been incinerated, piled into landfills, or dumped in our oceans,” said Nachson Mimran, CEO and co-founder of To: Creative Activists.

“The 3D printed Throne has been an incredible challenge for us, working with mechanics, sliding doors, and off-the-shelf products such as a separate toilet. These design components forced us to think in a different, utilitarian way which really makes this proof of concept special,” said Manuel Jiménez García, CEO and co-founder of Nagami.

The Throne goes further in its realization of a circular economy by composting the waste produced by users and using this compost locally. Eventually, the teams want to put the technologies and tools in the hands of local communities. When innovation is shared fairly and the carbon footprint created by logistics and shipping of these products can be greatly reduced. The Throne is just one example of the possibilities of what additive manufacturing can do for scaling sustainable design and development – it’s only waste if you waste it!

Designer: Nagami and To:

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