DESIGNER:
CREDITS:
YEAR:
2019, on going
LOCATION:
Mario Cucinella together with WASP realizes a project where high technology is put at the service of sustainability.
MC A – Mario Cucinella Architetcs, Tecla
Can you tell us about this project?
TECLA was conceived through a partnership with Wasp, a leading Italian company in the 3D printing sector. Together we decided to try a truly exciting challenge and that is to literally print a house that would be made with the earth from the surroundings in which it belongs. The TECLA project excites me a lot not only for the high technological level but also because it demonstrates that technology, without people’s ideas doesn’t go very far. What makes this project revolutionary even before technology is the idea behind it, then machines become the means of making it happen.
MC A – Mario Cucinella Architetcs, Tecla
Is earth really a simple material extracted from the surroundings?
Yes. This required a lot of research, because we had to rely solely on the shape to meet both thermal and static requirements. We could not use the super-performing materials that exist today. All we had was simply earth.
Are there any additives inside the earth?
The only additive is a hardening cement which represents less than 5% of the total. This allows us to speed up printing times.
Could this construction method be a valid alternative to current solutions for housing emergencies?
We designed it specifically for this purpose. A house can be built in a few days and directly on site. Once it is no longer needed, it will melt down and become simply what it was before, that is, earth. The environmental impact for both materials, assembly and transport is very low. I find it offensive to provide constructions that look like barracks to people who have recently lost their homes along with who knows how many other things. These people should be given the best of the knowledge we have available today.
