Thankfully, some scientists and researchers are doing everything in their power to create protective measures for those who live closest to the most vulnerable areas in the world. In one Guatemala, a home has been 3D-printed to address such an issue.
Amazingly, it took a team of researchers just 26 hours to create a house with 3D printing technology. And that’s not even the most impressive part. What separates this abode from others is that it’s earthquake-proof. And that’s not all – it can withstand earthquakes of a magnitude of 9.0! Now that’s powerful.
How Did They Build an Earthquake-Proof House?
Danish architecture firm 3DCP Group teamed up with 3D printer-supplier COBOD to construct the 49 square-meter home. Cement company Progreso also had a key part to play in its construction.
This brilliant alliance used the best of both worlds to build the groundbreaking structure. They took elements from their region, like a roof made out of palm leaves, while printing organic-shaped walls.
According to COBOD, the shape in which the house was built would have been “extremely expensive” with the local materials and without the ability to 3D print.
A couple of factors that the architects considered included the required strength of the building, global and local guidelines, and the amount of heat and light the building can withstand, among others.
Paying Homage to Guatemala
According to the architects of the project, the building’s design pays deep homage to Guatemala. “If you look at the plan drawing of the interior, the walls are placed so that they resemble the paw of the jaguar, which is present in the area,” Mikkel Brich said in an interview with Euronews Next.
Then there are the palm leaves on the roof, which are supposed to evoke the traditional homes in this part of the world, known as “palapas.”
This unique innovation could pave the way for quicker production of many more earthquake-proof homes in Guatemala and other countries around the world.