3D Printed Affordable Housing in Albuquerque
A thesis submitted to the
Graduate School
Of the University of Cincinnati
In partial fulfillment of the
Requirements for the degree of
Master of Architecture
in the department of Architecture
of the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning
by
Ryan Coblentz
University of Cincinnati, 2019
Committee Chair: Michael McInturf
Committee Member: Aarati Kanekar
Abstract
With the demand of urban housing continuing to increase and becoming more unattainable due to skyrocketing land values within cities, 3D printed architecture could hold the key to producing affordable housing quickly and cheaply without sacrificing design. While 3D printer technology has yet to reach
the development required to be implemented at the scale necessary to
address this problem, there is substantial evidence that within the foreseeable
future it will become a viable solution and even fundamentally change the
traditional construction method.
Albuquerque, New Mexico has long struggled with affordable housing
due to its large population of low-income residents. Within the last couple of years there has been a substantial movement within the city to address the affordable housing crisis, most notably through new mixed-use subsidized apartments in downtown. It is important to note that mixed-use typology has only recently been embraced by the city, whose stringent zoning laws made mixed-use developments impossible until only a few years ago. Using the handful of mixed-use apartments which have been completed so far as precedents, a site, which currently functions as a parking lot, has been selected within the downtown area to analyze how 3D printer construction can be applied to affordable housing. Therefore the project will analyze how 3D printing can be implemented to address issues regarding design, community, and cost,
i for an affordable housing project in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The project will seek to create a mixed-use apartment complex aimed towards attracting young adults in order to take advantage of a city program known as ‘Innovate
ABQ’ with similar goals. The project will serve as an example of how 3D printed technology can be implemented within cities to address the affordable housing crisis.
ii
iii
Acknowledgements:
My parents Jorge and Rouxanne, my brother and sister, Jorgie and Veronica. Thank you for always encouraging me and supporting me throughout my life.
My wonderful fiancée Taylor, for being my emotional support and sounding board for my ideas throughout my academic career.
My friends and loved ones, for sticking with me and for being understanding of my busy schedule.
To Michael, for his guidance and critiques in this last year, and my past instructor’s who helped prepare me for this academic endeavor.
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Table of Contents
Abstract i-ii
Acknowledgements iii
Figures/Illustrations vi-ix
01 Adobe Architecture 1-11
02 Affordable Housing 12-21
03 3D Printing 22-36
04 Design 37-62
Bibliography 63-66
v
vi
Figures/ Illustrations
(All illustrations are created by author unless noted otherwise.)
Figure 1 Ruins of a multistory dwelling in Chaco Canyon.
Oswald, Benjamin. “Pueblo Bonito, Chaco Canyon.” Digital Image. Ancient
History Encyclopedia. Accessed January 22, 2019.
https://www.ancient.eu/image/8964/pueblo-bonito-chaco-canyon/
Figure 2 Typical Features of a Kiva.
Lekson, Stephen H. “Great Pueblo Architecture of Chaco Canyon.” Albuquerque,
New Mexico: National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, (1984).
Figure 3 Diagram of public/private space in Pueblo Bonito.
Image by author. Inspired by Lekson, Stephen H. “Great Pueblo Architecture of
Chaco Canyon.” Albuquerque, New Mexico: National Park Service, U.S.
Department of the Interior, (1984).
Figure 4 Wall types found at Chaco Canyon.
Lekson, Stephen H. “Great Pueblo Architecture of Chaco Canyon.” Albuquerque,
New Mexico: National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, (1984).
Figure 5 Isometric showing roof structure of pueblo architecture.
Image by author. Inspired by Lekson, Stephen H. “Great Pueblo Architecture of
Chaco Canyon.” Albuquerque, New Mexico: National Park Service, U.S.
Department of the Interior, (1984).
vii
Figure 6 Adobe wall (orange) section showing wood substructure (blue).
Image by author. Inspired by Lekson, Stephen H. “Great Pueblo Architecture of
Chaco Canyon.” Albuquerque, New Mexico: National Park Sevice, U.S.
Department of the Interior, (1984).
Figure 7 Galisteo Modern by Archaeo Architects. An example of modern Pueblo Revival.
“Galisteo.” Digital Image. Archaeo Architects. Accessed January, 16,2019.
https://www.archaeoarchitects.com/portfolio-item/galisteo/
Figure 8 Hodgin Hall before (left) and after (right) its Pueblo Revival remodel.
Hooker, Van Dorn. “Only in New Mexico: An Architectural History of the University
of New Mexico.” Image. Albuquerque: UNM Press. (2000). pp. 4–11
Figure 9 George Pearl Hall by Antoine Predock. An example of concrete Pueblo Revival.
Sullivan, Mary Ann. “School of Architecture and Planning.” Digital Image. Digital
Imaging Project MAS/BC. Accessed January 16, 2019.
https://www.bluffton.edu/homepages/facstaff/sullivanm/newmexico/albuquerq
ue/architecturepredock/archbuilding.html
Figure 10 The Cave by Greenfield studio. A rammed earth, single-family dwelling.
“The Cave in Pilares/ Greenfield.” Digital Image. ArchDaily. Accessed January
16, 2019. https://www.archdaily.com/615252/the-cave-in-pilares-greenfield
Figure 11 Total HUD units in Pittsburgh, with the UPMC zone dashed.
viii
Silverman, Robert Mark, Kelly L. Patterson, Li Yin, Molly Ranahan, and Laiyun Wu.
Affordable Housing in US Shrinking Cities: From Neighborhoods of Despair to
Neighborhoods of Opportunity Bristol: Policy Press, (2016).
Figure 12 Total HUD units in ABQ with downtown highlighted.
“An Assessment of Fair Housing.” Digital Image. City of Albuquerque. (July, 25,
2017). https://www.cabq.gov/family/documents/affh-poewrpoint.pdf
Figure 13 Summary of Albuquerque demographics.
Figure 14 Completed office pods sitting on the site in Dubai.
AD Editorial Team. "Office of the Future / Killa Design". ArchDaily. (July 13, 2017).
www.archdaily.com/875642/office-of-the-future-killa-design
Figure 15 A rendering of what Milestone may look like when completed.
Walsh, Niall Patrick. "World's First 3D-Printed Concrete Housing Project to be Built
in Eindhoven." Digital Image. ArchDaily. (June 01, 2018).
www.archdaily.com/895597/worlds-first-3d-printed-concrete-housing-project-to-
be-built-in-eindhoven
Figure 16 A completed wall showcasing the triple S structure.
AD Editorial Team. "3D Printing Fuses Thai Craftsmanship to Create Habitable
Concrete Structures." Digital Image. ArchDaily. (February 12, 2018).
ix
www.archdaily.com/887403/3d-printing-fuses-thai-craftsmanship-to-create-
habitable-concrete-structures
Figure 17 Greater downtown Albuquerque.
Figure 18 Immediate site context.
Figure 19 Household demographics of Albuquerque.
Figure 20 Lobo Rainforest from Broadway St.
Urvanejo, Kelly. “Lobo Rainforest Now Houses Students and Community Groups.”
Digital Image. Daily Lobo. (August 16, 2017).
http://www.dailylobo.com/article/2017/08/lobo-rainforest-now-open
Figure 21 Casitas de Colores front entry.
“Casitas de Colores”. Digital Image. Dekker Perich Sabatini. (2017).
https://www.dpsdesign.org/what-we-create/casitas-de-colores
Figure 22 Elevations showing material studies.
Figure 23 Adobe inspiration for color palette.
Figure 24 Typical floor plan showing program.
Figure 25 Examples of 3D Printed Wall Structure.
Figure 26 Traditional construction cost estimates.
Figure 27 3D printed construction estimate.
Figure 28 Northeast Project Axon.
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01 Adobe Architecture
Historic Context
Figure 1 Ruins of a multistory dwelling in Chaco Canyon
Great Pueblo Architecture of Chaco Canyon by Stephen H. Lekson offers a documentation of a series of archaeological studies between 1971 and the book’s publication in 1984 on the pueblo dwellings of the Chaco Canyon settlement. The current focus of research is on the chapters of the book that discuss structure, forms, and room typologies of the pueblos. Given the rich history of communal-style living within New Mexico, an argument could be made to create a program that includes a communal lifestyle based on a
1
modern-day interpretation of pueblo style settlements, especially revolving
around ideas of the kiva, and multi-level housing often found in Pueblos that at times could rise to four stories1. Kivas were large circular communal spaces often
found in the center of pueblo dwellings that were often directly adjacent to
living spaces, and other communal/shared rooms.
Figure 2 Typical Features of a Kiva
In contrast, living spaces and family dwellings within ancient Pueblo
architecture were almost always rectilinear and share very similar proportions
and dimensions to one another. The exception to this rule comes in the form of
rooms that were directly adjacent to kivas, which as a result share a portion of a
curved wall with the kiva. These rooms vary widely in size, and there is
speculation regarding their purpose; they could have been dwelling spaces,
private storage, or perhaps storage space for the kivas’ themselves in which
1 Lekson, Stephen H. “Great Pueblo Architecture of Chaco Canyon.” Albuquerque, New Mexico: National Park Sevice, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1984.
2 communal ceremonies and rituals took place2. However, due to the nature of deterioration of ancient pueblo dwellings, there is no substantial evidence to ascertain the program of these spaces.
Figure 3 Diagram of public/private space in Pueblo Bonito
Structure and Material
Another important factor of Pueblo architecture is the treatment of structure, which was for the large part integrated within the walls. All walls of pueblo architecture served as massive load bearing walls due to the nature of materials and construction methods available to ancient Pueblo people. Pueblo architecture generally consisted of adobe (a type of clay), clay brick, and
2 Ibid, 52.
3 wood, used for beams and columns)3 . Clay bricks served as the primary material of walls, which were rudimentary and held together by a mixture of adobe and mud to fill in the large gaps between bricks.
Figure 4 Wall types found at Chaco Canyon
3 Ibid, 27.
4
Any openings within a wall were spanned by a series of rounded wood beams, which were often times bundled in pairs due to their small lengths and diameters resulting from limited resources in the surrounding area. Similarly, wood was used as the sub-structure for roofs and upper floors and consisted of a primary system of long-span wood beams that spanned between walls, and a secondary system of small tightly bundled wood beams that spanned the distance between the primary beams.
Once this sub-system was in place, a layer of clay was used as a closing material to form the roof or floor with an additional layer of sand mixed with clay that served as a form of floor finish4. It should be noted that pueblo settlements were built in stages that developed over time as the community expanded and eventually led to multistory dwellings as land became scarce or difficult to build on due to topographic conditions. These settlements were later expanded vertically in a similar fashion one story at a time, unlike modern practices of constructing all the floors of project together.
4 Ibid, 36.
5
Figure 5 Isometric showing roof structure of pueblo architecture
Figure 6 Adobe wall (orange) section showing wood substructure (blue)
6
Pueblo Revival
Figure 7 Galisteo Modern by Archaeo Architects. An example of modern Pueblo Revival.
Pueblo Revival is an architectural style that developed in the
Southwestern United States that draws inspiration not only from ancient pueblo
architecture, but also Spanish Colonial and Mission styles, which dot the
Southwest landscape5. While Pueblo Revival can be found across the Southwest,
its origin can be traced back to New Mexico where it is most prevalent, and
commonly used to this day. Its origin is directly linked to the founding of New
Mexico as a state in 1912, as a means to create a unique architectural style that
would set New Mexico apart from the growing state of California and the
5 Wilson, Chris. “The Myth of Santa Fe: Creating a Modern, Regional Tradition.” Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press. 1997.
7
Californian Mission style that was quickly spreading across southwestern states6.
Pueblo Revival is also often referred to as Santa Fe style, the capital of New
Mexico, the first city to adopt Pueblo Revival as its architectural style.
Structure and Material
While Pueblo Revival retains the visual style of ancient Pueblo architecture it makes significant departures in terms of structure, and material. Rather than using adobe as the primary material and structural component of the wall,
Pueblo Revival shifted to using balloon framing, in which wood served as the primary structure of the wall and was then coated with either a layer of adobe mud or stucco to replicate the appearance of an adobe wall7.
While this is the most common construction method for Pueblo Revival, there are some departures such as the use of concrete, brick, or rammed earth in place of balloon frame walls. In fact, one of the most notable and first examples of Pueblo Revival architecture in New Mexico is Hodgin Hall, which still serves as the Administrative Building for the University of New Mexico to this day.
The original building, made of brick, actually precedes the implementation of the Pueblo Revival style, but was remodeled in 1906 due in part to structural issues with the original building and the university seeking to create a new, unified, campus-wide style based on the Pueblo Revival.
6 Ibid. 7 Randel, Steven. “Roots of Style: Pueblo Revival Architecture Welcomes Modern Life.” Houzz. 2013.
8
Figure 8 Hodgin Hall before (left) and after (right) its Pueblo Revival remodel
On the other hand, concrete and rammed earth examples of Pueblo
Revival are a much more recent development in the style. Unlike brick and balloon frame examples, concrete and rammed earth walls hearken back to the load bearing single-material walls of pueblo architecture of old. While concrete and rammed earth does share the structural qualities of traditional pueblo, and in fact perform better, it comes at the departure of material and methodology. Rather than being an additive process of wall construction, in which one layer is added at time, both concrete and rammed earth are form- work based walls.
This represents the major drawbacks and criticisms associated with Pueblo
Revival that whether through balloon frame, brick, concrete, or rammed earth,
Pueblo Revival is more concerned with replicating the physical appearance of adobe rather than the methodology of using adobe as a material. This is not without reason however, as forming adobe is incredibly costly and time consuming by today’s construction standards. Adobe must be done by hand
9 due to the nature of the material. Adobe is also not as structurally sound as materials such as concrete and brick, which limits adobe constructions viability to low-rise or single-family dwellings.
Figure 9 George Pearl Hall by Antoine Predock. An example of concrete Pueblo Revival.
Figure 10 The Cave by Greenfield studio. A rammed earth, single-family dwelling.
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An interesting parallel can be drawn between the methodology of adobe architecture and 3D printed construction which seeks to create a union between walls and structural systems. In the following sections further exploration will be done to draw parallels between ancient adobe architecture,
Pueblo Revival, and 3D printing techniques to develop region-specific strategies towards structure, building systems, and aesthetics. The building’s overall form will take inspiration from the traditional Pueblo building style of tiered multi-level dwelling and an abundance of communal spaces for residents. By pushing the limits of what 3D printing is currently able to produce, the project will explore how such technology can be used to create a modern response to both Pueblo
Revival and adobe architecture through the lens of affordable housing.
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02 Affordable Housing
Background
Affordable Housing in US Shrinking Cities follows the narrative of 5 major cities in the US struck by shrinking population and economies and the subsequent issue of affordable housing in these cities. As the book summarizes,
“urban decline, physical decay, poverty, the ghettoization of the poor…failing urban schools…are often associated with US shrinking cities1” .The cities in question are Detroit, New Orleans, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Buffalo. The book is broken into sections for each city which offers a summarized history of the city, what led to their shrinking, how each city sought to address its affordable housing problem, and the successes/failures of these strategies.
The most prevalent of these strategies is what Silverman coins the ‘eds & meds strategy,’ which refers to efforts by universities and medical campuses to revitalize their areas of the city through new developments and the promise of new affordable housing to residents2. Unfortunately these eds and meds strategies often do more harm than good; as while they do create new affordable housing as promised (often less than promised), the amount of
1 Silverman, Robert Mark, Kelly L. Patterson, Li Yin, Molly Ranahan, and Laiyun Wu. Affordable Housing in US Shrinking Cities: From Neighborhoods of Despair to Neighborhoods of Opportunity Bristol: Policy Press, 2016 2 Ibid, 9.
12 people these projects displace is far greater than the amount of housing created. This is further complicated by the gentrification these revitalization projects bring about, drastically increasing land value in the area and making further affordable housing projects in the project highly unlikely as developers seek to capitalize on the increased land values in the area.
While numerous cities Silverman analyzed implement some form of an eds and meds strategy, Pittsburgh’s strategy is the most comparable to
Albuquerque. Both cities shared a similar dilemma of how to introduce mixed- use developments into a declining downtown area. Both cities adopted the same strategies of promoting development headed by their respective universities. This is a potential cause for concern, as while Pittsburgh’s strategy was formed with the best of intentions; it displaced far more low-income residents than it helped, due in part to the University of Pittsburgh’s goals not being primarily focused on creating affordable housing.
Case Study: Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh once stood at the pinnacle of industrial cities in the US, however deindustrialization post WWII and the US’s shift towards becoming a service based economy devastated Pittsburgh, especially the city’s industrial focused downtown3. Often times Pittsburgh is referred to as a ‘Renaissance’ city, a shining example to other shrinking cities that recovery is possible. It is Silverman’s
3 Ibid, 99.
13
argument however, that while Pittsburgh has managed to bring back vibrancy
and economic activity in nodes, it is a survivor city still learning to cope with the conditions of the twenty-first century, as opposed to a ‘Renaissance’ city4.
The University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon, and the University of
Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) have been key players in bringing back economic activity to the downtown area5. It should come as no surprise then
that they are at the heart of these revitalized nodes. However, the development
projects in these areas catered towards the transient population of university
students and low-income workers6, rather than the existing, more permanent
population of low-income families in the area. Further analysis from the
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) data showcases this as
“there was a relatively limited supply of HUD-subsidized housing for families with
children in the UPMC area, and housing costs were inflated for renters who
made up the vast majority of the area’s residents.7” In other words, in addition to
not addressing the existing low-income families in the area, these new
developments hindered them further by increasing the average rent in the area.
4 Ibid, 100. 5 Ibid, 107. 6 Ibid, 117. 7 Ibid, 118.
14
Figure 11 Total HUD units in Pittsburgh, with the UPMC zone dashed
A similar scenario seems to be beginning to unfold in Albuquerque as well.
‘Innovate ABQ,’ a project being funded by the University of New Mexico is seeking to create a new community in the downtown area8 by taking advantage of the recent decision by the city of Albuquerque to become more lax with its zoning regulations in an effort to create new mixed-use projects in the city, with particular focus on downtown. It has yet to be seen however, the extent ‘Innovate ABQ’ will achieve its goals as the organization has only completed one student housing project, Lobo Rainforest, so far.
8 “Greater Albuquerque Housing Partnership.” accessed August 18, 2017.
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Albuquerque
It should be pointed out that Albuquerque is not a shrinking city, but it bares striking similarities to the narrative and problems that plague shrinking cities. This includes phenomenon such as its population size, poverty, ghettoization, income disparity, and affordable housing shortage to name a few.
In fact, compared to other cities, Albuquerque’s affordable housing crisis is significantly more poignant. On average in each of the cities discussed in
Affordable Housing in Shrinking US Cities, including Albuquerque, roughly 50% of the population is rent-overburdened. A household is classified as being rent- overburdened when over 30% of the household’s income goes towards rent9.
However, unlike the cities analyzed in the book, Albuquerque has a significantly lower ratio of affordable housing to market-rate housing, and a much larger population. Roughly 5% of Albuquerque’s total housing is under some form of affordable housing program in comparison to 26%, the average of the cities analyzed by Silverman10. Additionally, Albuquerque has a population of over 500,000 in comparison to Cleveland, the largest city analyzed in the book, with a population of around 390,00011. Put simply, Albuquerque has far less affordable housing options available for a far larger population than any of
9 Silverman, Mark, Patterson, Yin, Ranahan, and Wu,17. 10 Ibid. 11 Ibid, 86.
16
the cities analyzed by Silverman, which she cites as prime examples of the
affordable housing crisis.
Figure 12 Total HUD units in ABQ with downtown highlighted
17
Demographics
Albuquerque is a minority-majority city with roughly; 48% of the population
being Hispanic, 40% White, 5.2% Native American, 2.3% Black, 2.1% Asian, and
the remaining 2.4% identifying as more than one race.12 Albuquerque’s residents
are also relatively younger than the average of most other US cities, with roughly
60% of the population under the age of 44. In addition to this, current projections
predict the 20-34 year old demographic in the city will increase by about an
additional 10%, which is double the US’s average of around 5%.9
Interestingly, despite what the city’s struggles with poverty rates and
income disparity would lead one to infer, Albuquerque has an extremely high
per capita rate of higher education attainment. Roughly 29% of the city’s
population holds a bachelor’s degree or higher, in addition to the estimated
60,000 residents who were currently enrolled in college in 2017 at the time of the
city’s census.9
Household Type
According to the most recent study by the HUD, the largest majority of
households are comprised of small non-family households with less than 5 people, with non-married families being the second largest category.13 This
supports the demographic data of the relatively young population of the city,
12 “Demographics.” Albuquerque Economic Development. The City of Albuquerque. 2017.
13 City of Albuquerque. “Albuquerque Housing Needs Assessment.” 2017.
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and the notion that the largest demographic is single young adults and young
adults who are beginning to form families.
Figure 13 Summary of Albuquerque Demographics
It isn’t a coincidence that this also happens to be the same target
demographic Innovate ABQ is trying to attract with the series of mixed-use
projects it is developing. While this may potentially lead to some competition,
the assertion can be made that Innovate ABQ will be unable to meet the
demand for affordable housing in the city on its own. There is a severe deficit of
19 affordable housing in Albuquerque; coupled with 18-44 year olds comprising the largest age groups in the city, who are the group most in need of affordable housing, makes Albuquerque very prolific for further movements to introduce affordable housing into the city.
Income Disparity
Poverty is a major issue in Albuquerque, according to HUD data, roughly
51% of the total population of Albuquerque are within the three lowest income categories defined by the government14. These categories are determined by the percentage of a household’s income in comparison to the area median income, or AMI, which for Albuquerque is roughly $61,900. The lowest three categories are defined as those households whose incomes are; below 30% AMI, between 31-50% AMI, and between 51-80% AMI15.
At first glance, this data seems to imply that roughly half of Albuquerque’s population would thus be above the AMI, which would be ideal, however the issue is not so straightforward. Further analysis reveals that less than 40% of
Albuquerque’s population is above the AMI, with the remaining 10% of the population in the 81-95% AMI category, which HUD categories as being
‘moderate or upper income’ households due to them being ineligible for affordable housing projects10.
14 Ibid. 15 Ibid.
20
HUD’s analysis also reveals the over-representation of minorities within the
lowest income categories. Hispanics account for nearly 50% of all low income
households with blacks accounting for the second largest minority category at
4%, making them the most over-represented of any group in low income categories, given they comprise only 2% of the total population16.
Lack of Affordable Housing Options
As mentioned, in comparison to the other cities analyzed in the paper,
Albuquerque has a shockingly low percentage of affordable housings units in
comparison to market rate units, despite 51% of the city’s population qualifying
for affordable housing. Of the 222,098 households in Albuquerque, only 7,516 are
low-income units with an additional 2,987 rent assisted units.17 As a thought
experiment this would mean the city would need to redevelop, or create an
additional 100,546 affordable housing options in order to meet the current
demand. While the intention is not to create 100,000 new affordable housing
units, one avenue of research will be to analyze to what degree 3D printing
could alleviate the affordable housing issue in Albuquerque in terms of cost,
time, and a rough estimate of area required.
16 Ibid. 17 “Albuquerque, NM Affordable Housing Snapshot” 2017. Affordable Housing Online.
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03 3D Printing
Overview
3D printed construction refers large scale 3D printers, which generally use an extruder head on a track system, or robotic arm, to ‘print’ out a three- dimensional file by layering material. The most common and most developed material in 3D printed construction is concrete, and unless otherwise noted in this paper, 3D printed construction is assumed to be made of concrete. Most commercially available printers have a specific build size based on the size of its frame system; however there are also mobile 3D printers, which are essentially robotic arms on caterpillar tracks which are only limited by the height the arm is capable of reaching. These mobile printers are a fairly recent development in
3D printing technology, and have a much higher price than their non-mobile counterparts.
The process in which a 3D printer builds a form can be thought of as a series of single-line drawing exercises. A single-line drawing, for those unfamiliar, is a drawing practice in which the artist is never allowed to bring their utensil off their canvas, resulting in a drawing composed of one single continuous line.
Similarly, a 3D printer follows a series of single-line paths, defined by the file script, stacked in a series atop one another to create horizontal contours of a three-
22
dimensional form. The vertical spacing between these contours is calculated by
determining the depth of a single layer of print material, which for most
concrete printers is roughly ¼”18.
Another benefit to the 3D printing process is the capability to create an integrated structure within a wall. While exploration into the overall form of this internal wall structure varies, they are all a form of horizontal truss that spans between the wall faces. This allows for 3D printed walls to serve as load-bearing structures, meaning a reduced need for structural columns in a project, assuming proper spacing between walls. This integrated wall structure can create difficulties with other wall systems, such as HVAC and electrical, but especially insulation. Strategies to address these systems will be discussed more in depth during the design section.
The most enticing proposition 3D printed construction holds nonetheless is
the drastic cost reductions it offers in comparison to traditional construction
techniques. The most critical cost reducing advantages 3D printing holds over
traditional construction are fast construction time and automation of the
construction processes. 3D printing essentially offers the ability to construct a project in a fraction of the time, with a fraction of the people that traditional construction has no means to compete with. It seems only natural then that a technology that seeks to fundamentally revolutionize the way we construct
18 “3D Construction Wall Printing Calculator.” 3D Printhuset.
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buildings would be meet with a healthy share of criticism, if not downright
opposition, in the case of construction companies.
Technology and Skepticism
Like any new technology that brings about the promise of revolutionizing
an aspect of life, there are always those who are heavily skeptical of the
technology in question. A particular story regarding the initial introduction of
steel as a structural material comes to mind. When one of the first steel buildings
was erected, people were so convinced that the building would collapse that
local press camped out the night the project was completed so that they could
be the first to report on the failure of steel. Similarly, there seems to be just as
much unwarranted skepticism against 3D printed construction, not just in terms
of structure, but its overall viability, and the cost effectiveness it totes as well.
Spacesuit: Fashioning Apollo by Nicolas de Monchaux examines the history and architectural narrative around the development of the spacesuit, and how it helped shaped our attitudes of the future. The book draws many parallels to the situations which we are faced with today both from an architectural and social perspective. Namely, this is in reference to the backlash with how pervasive technology is becoming, and 3D-Printing is no exception.
Throughout the book Monchaux relates the design of the spacesuit and space travel back to architecture. He explains that both the spacesuit and architecture share common goals, namely that the serve as mediators between
24
habitable and non-habitable space, both are increasingly forced to deal with
accelerated change brought about by technology, and ultimately seek to
design “for a world that has yet to come19.”
One of the most notable chapters of the book, Cyborgs, focuses on both the
ways in which astronauts had to adapt to their suits, and speculation NASA had
about the future and the ways in which humans would adapt to increasingly
complex technology, most notable with the advent of space-faring ‘cyborgs,’
as the ultimate form of symbiosis between man and technology. In practice
NASA implemented their notions of ‘cyborgs’ into the spacesuit by equipping
them with a suite of sensors which monitored the astronaut’s vitals and handled
bodily excretions20. While a far cry from the idea of a cyborg, the spacesuit
became an archetype of technology’s roles in automating functions, its ever
increasing pervasiveness within our lives, and the resultant backlash created by
the feeling of a loss of privacy.
While not immediately threatening towards our sense of privacy, 3D printed construction would revolutionize the way we construct buildings, and bring an unprecedented amount of automation to the construction process. Two men and a machine would be able to accomplish the work of an entire construction team in a fraction of the time, for less cost, and waste less material. Design options would greatly expand as creating curved and non-orthogonal walls
19 Monchaux, Nicholas De. “Spacesuit: Fashioning Apollo.” Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2011. 20 Ibid, 115.
25 would no longer mean a massive increase in construction cost. Ultimately 3D
Printing is simply a technological tool architects can implement in design, and as such it is important to understand both the positive and negative implications of using it.
3D Printing Precedents
Office of the Future
Figure 14 Completed office pods sitting on the site in Dubai.
Office of the Future, by Killa Design, is the first permanent-use building to be 3D printed in the world. The structure consists of a series of pods created through additive concrete layers. It is important to note that only the white shell structure was 3D printed, with the remaining systems being fitted in afterwards.
The shell itself was printed inside a warehouse, which was then transported to the site. The printer is one of the largest 3D printers ever built by a large margin,
26 with a print area of 120’ x 40’ x 20’21. For context, most commercially available printers on average are unable to print more than 25’ in any dimension.
Regardless the structure represents an amazing feat, taking only 17 days to print, a few months to complete the remaining systems, such as electrical,
HVAC and interior finishes, and overall cost 50% less than if the structure had been created through traditional construction practices2.
This does highlight one of the criticisms of 3D printed construction, specifically that Killa Design seemed to only be concerned with using 3D printing to create a shell for their project, rather than thinking about how they could utilize the technology to address the interior systems. Rather It seems these systems were an afterthought and were built in a very traditionally manner, resulting in the additional months it took to complete the project. The printer itself also serves as a projection of the scale commercial 3D printers will be able to achieve in the near future as the technology continue to evolve.
21 AD Editorial Team. "Office of the Future / Killa Design" 13 Jul 2017. ArchDaily.
27
Milestone
Figure 15 A rendering of what Milestone may look like when completed.
Designed in a joint effort between Houben & Van Mierlo Architecture and the Eindhoven University of Technology, the project known simply as ‘Milestone’ will be one of the world’s first 3D printed commercial housing projects.
Construction of the project is set to start by the end of 2018, with units set to be built in increasingly complex phases in order to analyze and adapt based on the success of each previous phase22. The project is also being praised for its sustainability compared to traditional concrete construction as the project will use considerably less concrete than traditional methods, as well a faster construction time. It should also be noted that the Eindhoven University of
22 Walsh, Niall Patrick. "World's First 3D-Printed Concrete Housing Project to be Built in Eindhoven" 01 Jun 2018. ArchDaily.
28
Technology is leading innovations within 3D printed concrete construction,
having also built the world’s first 3D printed concrete bridge last year23.
This project will also mark one of the first multilevel housing projects to be
completed by a major architect and could serve as a proof of concept for the use of 3D printing in the field of multifamily housing. However, while the project
does create a multifamily environment, this is achieved through a series of single
family homes strewn about the site. A likely reason Van Mierlo may have
adopted this strategy could be due to limitations in build size based on the 3D
printer they are using, however there are no specifics regarding the printer used
in this project.
Triple S
Figure 16 A completed wall showcasing the triple S structure.
Thai based Siam Research and Innovation Company (SRI) has been
testing the limits of 3D printed concrete in order to better understand its limits
23 Ibid.
29
and strengths. Triple S’s goal was to develop a concrete structure that pushed
the limits of concretes capabilities in terms of a surface pattern that integrates
into the structure of the wall. The form itself was derived from a traditional Thai
craft of folding coconut leaves.
SRI was able to achieve a surface pattern that is not merely aesthetic, but
does integrate into the interior structural truss system of the wall creating a series
of ‘moving’ load bearing paths.24 The wall itself was able to achieve a
compressive strength of over 45 MPa and flexural strength over 80 MPa25. In
comparison a typical concrete wall has a compressive strength between 20-40
MPa and a flexural strength of only 3-5 MPa26.
SRI’s material and design studies help showcase the structural qualities
achievable with 3D printed concrete. It should be noted that the concrete used
by 3D printers is nearly identical to concrete used in traditional construction, with
the exception of the addition of more super-plasticizers to mix. These super-
plasticizers have no negative impacts upon the concrete’s structural qualities,
and help absorb moisture in the concrete faster27. This results in the concrete
drying and achieving its compressive strength much faster than regular
concrete, which is essential for the layering process of 3D printing.
24 AD Editorial Team. "3D Printing Fuses Thai Craftsmanship to Create Habitable Concrete Structures" 12 Feb 2018. ArchDaily. 25 Ibid. 26 McMorrough, Julia. “ Materials, Structures, and Standards.” Beverly, Massachusetts: Rockport Publishers, 2006. 27 Greguric, Leo. “Concrete 3D Printing- How it Works & the Applications.” All 3DP. 2018.
30
Commercially Available Printers
31
32
33
Prototype Printers
34
Summary of Printers
While there are numerous 3D construction printers, information regarding
their specifications are often times difficult to obtain. Given the relatively new
nature of the technology it is likely the companies who are producing these
printers and unwilling to put out too much information regarding their printers for
fear of competition. The printers in the figures above represent highlights of both
prototypes and commercially available printers with enough surrounding
information to create some form of analysis. Predominant factors of research
include print dimensions, print speed, and cost in order to develop a narrative of
where the technology is at the present and future projections.
With the exception of Killa Design’s printer, a notable outlier, most other printers analyzed are capable of printing 20 feet in at least one dimension. This limitation in dimensions is responsible for why 3D printing exploration into housing has thus far been limited to single-family dwellings. However, there is evidence showing that there has been an increased interest in shifting focus to creating multifamily housing, with Crane Wasp, Killa Design, and project ‘Milestone’
spearheading this movement. Crane Wasp is being marketed as the first
commercially available modular 3D printer. Essentially, multiple Crane Wasp
printers can be connected together through their tessellating hexagonal
framework to build larger projects1. As mentioned before Killa Design has built
one of the largest documented 3D printers, which while incredibly costly
1 “Crane Wasp.” WASP. World’s Advanced Saving Project. 2018.
35
currently, as the technology continues to progress, large-scale printers will
continue to become more affordable similar to their small-scale counterparts.
Lastly, project ‘Milestone’ could very well live up to its name and become the
first milestone towards 3D printed multifamily housing, should the project prove
to be successful. Currently, the first house is scheduled to be completed with its
first tenant to be moving in within the first half of 20192.
Moving forward into design, further exploration will be done into how the
project can be developed using a modular 3D printer system similar to the
Crane Wasp. The ability to run multiple printers in tandem with one another holds
the most potential in developing a low-rise mixed-use housing project within the near future. This type of modular print system should be able to further reduce construction time, albeit at a slightly higher upfront cost. Furthermore, exploration shall be done into how this system will begin to express itself through overall design and details.
2 “Project Milestone.” 3D PrintedHouse. 2018.
36
04 Design
Site Context
The current site being analyzed is located on the eastern edge of
downtown along Central Avenue, one of the primary circulation corridors of
Albuquerque. The current program of the site is a parking lot, which comprise an
abhorrent amount of surface area within the car-centric city of Albuquerque.
The lot is roughly 2 city-blocks wide and approximately 300’ x 140’ or roughly
42,000 square feet. A downtown site was selected to take advantage of both
the amount of undeveloped land in the area, and the city promoting new
mixed-use developments in downtown through Innovate ABQ1.
The immediate adjacent programs to the site are as follows; to the North
Sunrise bank, a popular café, and smaller parking lot. To the East are the
Sunshine Theater, Century 14 Movie Theatre and the Chamber of Commerce,
along with a couple restaurants. To the south of the site are a series of small
nightclubs, and another parking lot. Lastly, on the West side of the site are two
office buildings. Beyond its immediate context, other notable amenities to the
site include; vast arrays of downtown bars and restaurants, a 5-10 minute
commute to the University of New Mexico, museums, access to public transit,
and the Isotopes Ballpark.
1 “Welcome to InnovateABQ!” Innovate ABQ. 2019
37
Figure 18 Immediate site context.
Figure 17 Greater downtown Albuquerque.
38
The close proximity to transit options makes the site extremely desirable.
Two blocks to the east is the Railrunner Train Station, which many rely on as transportation to and from work within the city. As mentioned, the site is along
Central Avenue, which in addition to being a main artery street, has recently been redeveloped to include a designated bus lane for ART (Albuquerque
Rapid Transit) shuttles. The site is also within a couple minutes drive from I-25 which serves as a primary transportation route for the region. The site is in a prime location for an affordable housing project given its close proximity to transportation, work opportunities, entertainment, and walkability. While these factors are important to any housing project, they become even more poignant in regards to affordable housing, given that transportation options may be limited to lower-income residents.
Program-Experience
Based on immediate site context, mixed-use precedents, and lack of population density within Albuquerque, the current scope of the program will be to create roughly 100 units across four to six stories of mixed-use affordable housing. This number is based on data gathered from nearby affordable housing projects, such as Lobo Rainforest2 which have a similar program scope.
2 Urvanejo, Kelly. “ Lobo Rainforest Now Houses Students and Community Groups.” 16 August 2017.
39
The first floor will seek to cater to restaurant commercial spaces in order to
provide more food options for the area. Given the site’s proximity to the train
station, downtown offices, and a movie theater, the area should prove to be
attractive to food services. In addition to these commercial spaces, a grocery
store will also be developed in the program and serve as the building’s anchor
tenant. Further site analysis determined the nearest grocery store roughly two
miles away, and two additional affordable housing projects have been built
within a couple city blocks to the site which would serve as the primary clients for the new grocer.
A majority of apartment units will be single room and studio units to appeal to single young adults, especially recent graduates and young families, in order to capitalize on the University’s plans to bring more young educated people into the area. The area itself boasts a pleasant nightlife due to the
proximity of bars, restaurants, theaters, and clubs, creating a sense of urban
lifestyle seldom found anywhere else in the city due to urban sprawl. The
decision to create primarily single bedroom dwellings is also based on
demographic data which reveals a majority of households are comprised of 2
non-family adults living together, according to Albuquerque’s housing demographics3.
3 City of Albuquerque. “Albuquerque Housing Needs Assessment.” 2017.
40
Figure 19 Household demographics of Albuquerque.
Client-Culture
While the specific contractors for the project remain uncertain at the moment, given that the goal of the project will be to create affordable housing, funding for the construction of the project will be secured via the
Greater Albuquerque Housing Partnership (GAHP). GAHP seeks to create affordable and market rate housing options throughout the Albuquerque area.
According to the GAHP, 16% of Albuquerque’s population fall below the poverty line in addition to over half of Albuquerque households falling into the lowest income categories defined by the HUD4.
4 “Greater Albuquerque Housing Partnership.” accessed August 18, 2017.https://www.abqgahp.org/
41
Given that the project will be mixed-used apartments, the project
will seek to attract young adults to the downtown area, where very few housing
options are currently available. Albuquerque’s downtown is not a very large
area, and until recently functioned solely as a place for work and entertainment,
possessing no living spaces, until the city of Albuquerque’s recent laxation on
mixed-use zoning typology. This situation creates a great opportunity to create
affordable housing in the area, whose tenants will benefit from the proximity to
job opportunities both from downtown, and the University of New Mexico, which
is the largest employer in the city. A series of affordable housing precedents
have recently been developed within the area, demonstrating the city’s
objective to bring more affordable housing into downtown.
Affordable Housing Precedents
Lobo Rainforest
The Lobo Rainforest complex is one example of the recent movement within Albuquerque to revitalize the downtown area through mixed-use apartments. The Rainforest is a student housing project which serves as the spearhead of the University of New Mexico’s (UNM) project to create what they call an “innovation district” in the downtown area. In order to create an innovative climate, the University has rented out the first floor to STC UNM, the
Innovation Academy, the Air Force Research Lab, and Nusenda Credit Union;
42 however the first floor was kept flexible to allow for future commercial tenants5.
Though not specifically an affordable housing project, Lobo Rainforest was able to keep rent for tenants below Albuquerque’s HUD limit rate of $7316. Rainforest was able to accomplish this by charging each tenant by room rather than by apartment, meaning that while each individual pays only $650 for rent,
Rainforest gets $1,300 per unit.
Figure 20 Lobo Rainforest from Broadway St.
Interestingly the project is exclusively comprised of two-bedroom units. As a university project, this highlights an issue that both affordable housing and student housing projects share in having a tendency to create as few unit types as possible in an effort to reduce construction costs. Through implementation of 3D printing this issue could be resolved as the major cost from
5 Urvanejo, Kelly. “ Lobo Rainforest Now Houses Students and Community Groups.” 16 August 2017. 6 City of Albuquerque. “Albuquerque Housing Needs Assessment.” 2017.
43
3D printing comes from material usage, rather than design choices, constructability, and time.
Casitas De Colores
Figure 21 Casitas de Colores front entry.
Casitas de Colores is an affordable housing project located a couple city blocks from the project site. The project features 71 units across 3 stories, focused primarily on family housing. The project itself consists of three buildings on the site situated in such a manner as to create a series of private courtyard areas that give families a safe place for their children to play. Other notable features of the project are the design considerations taken to promote the wellness of residents
44 such as; the aforementioned courtyards, walkability score, a fitness room, on situ education and social service centers, and the project achieving LEED Platinum, which was contributed to its dedication to sustainability.7 The project’s overall design is also expressive of a sort of New Mexico aesthetic that seemingly draws inspiration from Postmodernism and a tendency to use vibrant colors found throughout southwestern design.
Takeaways from the project will largely focus on the dedication the project had to creating affordable housing that promotes the wellness of its residents. Communal space will also play a large factor in design, and help further promote the wellness of residents. The project also features 8 unique unit types, ranging from studio to three bedrooms, a considerable number of variations for an affordable housing project. Site selection was also determined by many of the factors cited by the project architects, namely the area’s location to entertainment, amenities, work options, and public transportation, which will all be available to the project site as well. Lastly, overall design will also become a response to this project, and the immediate context of the area, which is dominated by the aforementioned New Mexican aesthetic.
7 “Casitas de Colores” 2017. Dekker Perich Sabatini.
45
Design
Overall Form
Overall form developed as a criticism towards both the dated architectural style of New Mexico, and the homogeneous aesthetic that has developed in modern housing projects. The specific aesthetic in question refers to the façade of these developments, which function as a series of blocks either extruded or pushed back to create a sense of pattern and depth. As a critique of these, the decision was made to create a similar façade aesthetic, which would begin to allude to both the 3D printed nature of the project, and the departure the interior layout takes from typical housing projects.
46
Figure 22 Elevations showing material studies
47
The most salient method in which 3D printing begins to articulate itself is
the textural quality created from the layering concrete in the printing process.
Pigment will also be added during this process to color the concrete based on
programmatic use, further expressing the interior relations of the project on the
façade. The colors selected are a series of earth tones based on colors
commonly found in adobe architecture and site context. The color coordination
with program reflects the most common uses of these colors within adobe
architecture. Yellow, commonly used for public and civic buildings designates
communal space in the project. Orange, the most common color of adobe is
used for apartment units. Red adobe, uncommon and usually found in single
family homes, was selected for extruded façade blocks. Apertures in adobe
architecture often have turquoise frames, which was implemented in
commercial space to identify entries to commercial space, and help break up
the curtain wall. Lastly, building cores do not have color additive and thus remain the neutral concrete gray.
48
Figure 23 Adobe inspiration for color palette.
Communal Spaces
One of the primary foci of the project is to develop a sense of community between residents, and the treatment of communal spaces to foster community engagement. To help establish the vital role of community to the project, a series of unique communal spaces are interwoven into each floor of the project, to address a multitude of communal spaces found in affordable housing projects. Casitas de Colores for example, like many other affordable housing projects, features education and social service centers8 inside the development meant to offer assistance to residents in the hopes that they are able to move up the economic ladder. To help delineate public from private space, the form of communal spaces is derived from the curved geometry of kivas. Potential programs for the communal spaces in the project include but
8 “Casitas de Colores” 2017. Dekker Perich Sabatini.
49 are not limited to; a gym, laundry room, computer lab, office spaces, meeting rooms, education space, and a social service office.
In order to reduce print time, and help narrow the nearly limitless design possibilities 3D printing offers, curved walls will only be implemented in design of communal spaces. The decision to limit curved walls to communal spaces is also a reference to the design of pueblo architecture, which reserved the use of circular forms for kivas9. Units directly adjacent to communal spaces may also share a portion of curvilinear wall, not unlike pueblo architecture, but the extent to which this occurs in the project varies due to the uniqueness of each instance.
Apartment Units
Several considerations were taken into account when designing individual apartment units for this project based on both the implications of using a 3D printer for construction, and the affordable housing typology. These considerations were then developed into a set of design parameters for the project based on the logic of creating a unified sense of design across a wide variety of unit types. In addition units will be efficient in material usage, print time, and cost. This will result in a modular-like unit system in which apartment units serves as building blocks and are easily interchangeable.
9 Lekson, Stephen H. “Great Pueblo Architecture of Chaco Canyon.” Albuquerque, New Mexico: National Park Sevice, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1984.
50
In regards to 3D printing, the technology does offer a lot more flexibility in terms of design options, notably the capability to design curved and angular walls with little to no increase in construction cost10. Parameters must be set to narrow down the near-limitless design options 3D printing provides by seeking to maximize the efficiency and speed of construction while simultaneously decreasing construction cost and material usage.
Figure 24 Typical floor plan showing program.
Shared Overall Dimensions
In order to create a modular system in which apartment units are able to be easily connected to form an apartment complex, units will be based on a set of shared dimensions. Each unit’s dimensions shall be equal to or under
35 feet by 25 feet or 875 square feet. These dimensions are based on precedent
10 Greguric, Leo. “Concrete 3D Printing- How it Works & the Applications.” All 3DP.
51
analysis of the average square feet of other affordable housing projects in
Albuquerque which was roughly; 490 square feet for studios, 630 square feet for
one bedroom units, and 790 square feet for two bedroom units. While on the high side in comparison to other affordable housing projects, unit sizes range widely of those analyzed; from a 450 square foot studio to a 935 square foot two bedroom unit. In addition to these dimensions, each unit will be allowed to have a maximum of a 3 foot overhang on upper floors, which is the maximum allowable overhang in Albuquerque.
Structure
To reiterate from the 3D Printing Section, 3D printed walls have the benefit of incorporated wall structure, in the form of a horizontal truss system. This form
gives 3D printed concrete walls even more load-bearing potential in comparison to traditional concrete walls. While there is considerable and ongoing exploration into different structural forms for 3D printing, standard truss
shapes still seem the most viable in regards to the short spans that would be
found in a typical affordable housing project. This truss system will be
intermittently broken to account for HVAC chases, with small apertures in the
truss to allow for electrical wiring.
Similar to the apertures needed for electrical, notches and openings will
be created in the wall for steel beams necessary for roof structure in the project.
These steel beams are allowed to penetrate exterior walls and become
52
expressive of the additional non-3D printed structure needed in the project. This
method of allowing beams to puncture the exterior wall is based on the vigas,11
or wood beams of adobe architecture that similarly punctured the exterior walls,
discussed in the Adobe Section. While there is a potential to 3D print concrete
floor plates in the project, cost analysis determined that cast-in-place concrete
was more efficient.12
Due to the nature of the wall truss, less conventional methods of wall
insulation are necessary for the 3D printing. The two most promising methods of
handing insulation are either including insulation in attachable wall panels, or
applying spray-foam insulation as the wall is being built. This could be achieved
through a dual-nozzle extruder, with one nozzle responsible for printing concrete,
and the other for printing out the insulation. While there is less precedent for it,
pursuing foam insulation system was selected for this project to better express
the details of the 3D printed wall, rather than the walls becoming hidden on the
interior by a series of wall panels.
11 Leskon, 13. 12 Moselle, Ben. “2017 National Building Cost Manual.” 41st Edition. Carlsbad, California. Craftsman Book Company. 2017
53
Figure 25 Examples of 3D Printed Wall Structure.
Limiting Wall Axes
As it has been touched upon in previous sections, while 3D printers are capable of producing complex wall designs, it does reduce the speed of the printer. Most, if not all, 3D printers move more slowly based on the angle, or axis, of a wall in relation to the printer’s own axes. Most stationary printers function on
3 axes, X Y Z, in which the extruder head is able to move, and determines the ease and speed with which a printer can travel in a specified direction. For example, nearly all stationary printers discussed travel along a rectilinear exterior frame system. This means that the extruder head is able to travel fastest when it is running in a direction parallel or perpendicular to the structure of the frame, which defines the printer’s axes, and runs slower in any other direction. Therefore, in order to maximize the speed with which the project can be completed
54 individual units’ interior walls will be limited to being as rectilinear as possible, with the exception of units that are directly adjacent to communal spaces.
Shared HVAC/ Kitchen Chases
One of the largest expenses in housing projects comes from the HVAC needed for mixed-use housing projects. One of the most efficient ways to reduce these costs is to align adjacent units’ bathrooms and kitchens with each other so that they can utilize a single chase system, effectively reducing the amount of chases required in a project by half. This strategy is often implemented in housing projects, especially affordable housing, in which the importance of keeping project costs down is further exaggerated.
Consolidated Circulation Cores
Another tactic often deployed by housing projects is to consolidate all vertical circulation, typically stairs and elevators, into the required number of cores for a building. This reduces project cost due to the increased cost of constructing high fire-rated walls required for both elevators and stairwells, which when consolidated allows for shared walls between these two forms of circulation. Consolidating circulation also means that a project will have more usable square footage, as it reduces the footprint of circulation space within a project, making the project more desirable to both landlords and developers.
Window Types
55
To further build upon the notion of creating a series of apartment units
with common dimensions that allow for a modular construction, the notion of
modularity will be applied to the windows of the units. Because of the numerous
iterations of unit types compiled in the catalogue, in order to limit the amount of
window types, and custom dimension windows, the decision was made to limit
the amount of window types. Window selection was determined by the most
commonly used, and cheapest, glass sizes for commercial developments which are as follows; 36” x 48”, 48” x 48”, 60” x 48”, and 72” x 48”13. Window dimensions
are also being restricted in regards to 3D printing. While there is little information
regarding construction techniques involved in 3D printing, as companies seem
keen to keep their methods a secret, creating window openings in a 3D printed
wall poses a significant issue.
This issue is that some type of permanent formwork must be placed into
the wall in order for the 3D printer to print wall layers over the void created by a
window or door. Analysis of a time lapse for the construction of an ICON
prototype home seems to show this issue is handled by a very thin steel lintel,
likely possible due to the structural nature of the wall and the small apertures of
the project14. The project also utilizes a fairly large wood frame around apertures,
which could potentially be additional structure, or simply an aesthetic choice
13 McMorrough, Julia. “ Materials, Structures, and Standards.” Beverly, Massachusetts: Rockport Publishers, 2006.
14 “Welcome to the Future of Human Shelter.” ICON. 2018.
56
representing the low-cost materials utilized in the project15. A similar thin solid
steel plate lintel will be incorporated into wall structure to address both window
and door openings in this project.
Cost Analysis
A portion of determining the successfulness of this project, is determining
the cost saving implications of using 3D printing over traditional construction
methods. In order to estimate project costs, cross-referencing was done
between the 2017 Construction Building Cost Manual and the 3D Construction
Wall Printing Calculator.16 The 3D Calculator is an online tool developed by 3D
Printhuset, a 3D construction printer company, that estimate project costs based on a series of user defined variables.
The construction cost manual breaks costs down based on program type into the following categories; foundation, floor structure, floor finish, exterior wall finish, wall structure, interior wall finish, roof structure, ceiling finish, lighting, plumbing, and bathroom finishes17. Calculations were determined for the project by isolating the key programs of the project; retail, grocery, and housing.
The following page lists a cost breakdown based on these categories, adding up to a total project cost of $10,831,138. However, project costs would likely be higher as this does not account for the large amount of curvilinear walls in the
15 Ibid. 16 “3D Construction Wall Printing Calculator.” 3D Printhuset. 2018.
17 Moselle, 76.
57
project. For comparison, according to the multifamily economics division of
Fannie Mae, a mortgage company specialized in multifamily housing, the
national average construction cost for a 4-7 mixed apartment in 2017 was
$11,500,00018. Using modeling software a rough estimate was formed of interior and exterior wall square footages which were then input in the 3D print cost calculator. This cost calculator only accounts for the costs associated with the
3D printer however, so other construction factors such as HVAC, lighting and
floors are not accounted for. These additional costs were thus calculated using
the 2017 construction manual, and thus remain static between traditional cost
and 3D printer cost estimates. The logic to keeping these costs constant was to
analyze how 3D printed walls as the independent variable changed
construction costs.
Using 3D printing the estimated project cost dropped from $10,831,138 for
traditional construction to $5,030,407. This correlates to roughly a 46% cost
reduction compared to traditional costs. This cost savings seems to corroborate
the cost reduction 3D printed projects such as Office of the Future19, Project
‘Milestone20’, ICON21, and others have reported, ranging from 30 to 60% less
18 “Multifamily Market Commentary.” Mutlifamily Economics and Market Research Group. Fannie Mae. March 2017. 19 AD Editorial Team. "Office of the Future / Killa Design" 13 Jul 2017. ArchDaily. 20 Walsh, Niall Patrick. "World's First 3D-Printed Concrete Housing Project to be Built in Eindhoven" 01 Jun 2018. ArchDaily. 21 “Welcome to the Future of Human Shelter.” ICON. 2018.
58 than traditional construction.
Figure 26 Traditional construction cost estimates.
59
Figure 27 3D printed construction estimate.
Conclusion
3D printing is a powerful tool that if implemented properly will fundamentally change the affordable housing model. The most promising features of the technology is its ability to drastically reduce both construction time and cost through automation, and that cost is reliant more upon material
60
usage than design decisions. Given these features, 3D printing’s benefits would be further magnified in regards to affordable housing, in which cost and design options are often limited. Therefore a project was formulated to analyze how 3D printing can be implemented to address issues regarding design, community, and cost, for an affordable housing project in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In comparison to other struggling cities, Albuquerque’s issues with lack of affordable housing and large income disparity are specifically poignant, making it an excellent selection to test new strategies towards the affordable housing
model.
By analyzing the historic context of New Mexico, namely ancient adobe
architecture and Pueblo Revival, attitudes towards design were formulated.
These design choices include elements such as the use of load-bearing walls,
material choice, details, and attitudes towards public and private space. These
precedents reveal the importance of community and public space to New
Mexican architecture, a commonality that is shared with affordable housing.
Once a project design was established cost analysis was done to show the
efficiency of 3D printing, which effectively reduced project costs in half, and
took a fraction of the time traditional construction would take. Though the
technology is still developing, 3D printed construction could not only
revolutionize affordable housing, but the entire construction model itself.
61
Figure 28 Northeast Project Axon.
62
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