Stunning concept images have revealed a glimpse of what homes of the future could look like, as preparations are made for the world’s first freeform 3D-printed property.
Experts will build a house called the ‘Curve Appeal’, having won the Freeform Home Design Challenge in 2016 which saw the firm behind its creation awarded $8,000 (£5,700) to make the plans a reality.
The futuristic building, to be constructed in Chattanooga, Tennessee, later this year, will be the first of its kind and will feature a complex blend of curved angles and glazed windows.
Designers are planning to build the world’s first freeform 3D-printed house later this year, taking a competition winning idea from concept to reality. The futuristic home will be the first of its kind, and features a complex blend of curved angles and glazed windows
The house is the creation of design company WATG, based in London and California, who were awarded first prize in the design challenge, launched by Branch Technology, an architectural fabricator specialising in large-scale 3D printing.
The competition was aimed at architects, designers, engineers and artists, with participants challenged to design a 600 to 800-sq ft (56 to 74-sq m) single-family home that rethinks traditional aesthetics, ergonomics, construction, building systems and structure.
The ‘freeform’ stipulation meant that the buildings were not to be of regular or formal shape.
The design for WATG’s Curve Appeal home draws inspiration from the Case Study House program developed between 1945 and 1966.
The house is the creation of design company WATG, based in Irvine, California, who were awarded first prize in the Freeform Home Design Challenge in 2016. The competition was aimed at architects, designers, engineers and artists. This image shows an exterior view of the home
Participants were challenged to design a 600 to 800-sq ft (56 to 74-sq m) single-family home that rethinks traditional aesthetics, ergonomics, construction, building systems and structure. This image shows a kitchen and breakfast bar area
The program oversaw the design of 36 highly-experimental prototype residences, that could be constructed easily and efficiently, re-inventing the modern home.
The architects leading the program were famed for constantly pushing the limits in terms of minimalist materials, and striving to create open-plan spaces that focused on enhancing natural light.
In a written statement, a spokesman for WATG said: ‘Employing many of the same modernist design principles, Curve Appeal is the next evolutionary step, blurring the line between inside and out.
‘It’s important that the architecture and the environment work together harmoniously.
‘The chosen site is steps away from the Tennessee River in a beautiful wooded, sunlit area.
The ‘freeform’ stipulation meant that the buildings were not to be of regular or formal shape. As a result of winning the competition, WATG was awarded $8,000 (£5,700) and will have its Curve Appeal design constructed in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This image shows an open plan living space
‘This allows the house to blend seamlessly into the environment, whilst also being naturally shaded and protected from solar radiation.
‘WATG is currently producing detailed design drawings and working in collaboration with the City of Chattanooga to ensure the project is advancing according to the intended timeline.’
Over the last year, WATG’s Chicago office has been developing their design with Branch Technology,
Wall section testing, research, and development phase of this revolutionary project is currently underway, working towards breaking ground later this year.
To build the structure, 28 panels will be 3D-printed off-site, before being slotted together on-site to create two exterior walls, the roof and the interior core.
These four main sections will then be hoisted into place and joined together. Once complete, the Curve Appeal home will have open and light-filled interior living spaces.
Over the last year, WATG’s Chicago office has been developing their design with Branch Technology, Wall section testing, research, and development phase of this revolutionary project is currently underway, working towards breaking ground later this year. This image shows another exterior view of the concept property
The design for WATG’s Curve Appeal home draws inspiration from the Case Study House program developed between 1945 and 1966. The program oversaw the design of 36 highly-experimental prototype residences, that could be constructed easily and efficiently, re-inventing the modern home. This image shows a panorama of the interior of the home
To build the structure, 28 panels will be 3D-printed off-site, before being slotted together on-site to create two exterior walls, the roof and the interior core. These four main sections will then be hoisted into place and joined together. Once complete, the Curve Appeal home will have open and light-filled interior living spaces
Passive strategies will be employed for keeping the building temperate, such as carefully located windows that can create a through-draft and features that can help foster warmth in the winter and keep the building cool in the summer
Passive strategies will be employed for keeping the building temperate, such as carefully located windows that can create a through-draft and features that can help foster warmth in the winter and keep the building cool in the summer.
It is hoped that the large expanses of glass will help to connect the occupants to the outside and to nature.
Using Branch Technologies’ Freeform printing process, complex design forms are no longer difficult or expensive to build.
Within the home, the complex shell geometry is not only aesthetically attractive but structurally functional.
Passive strategies will be employed for keeping the building temperate, such as carefully located windows that can create a through-draft and features that can help foster warmth in the winter and keep the building cool in the summer. This image shows parking space and a driveway
Using Branch Technologies’ Freeform printing process, complex design forms are no longer difficult or expensive to build. Within the home, the complex shell geometry is not only aesthetically attractive but structurally functional. This image shows another exterior angle of the home
The arching form provides structural rigidity to the residence, using various spring points throughout the floor plan, allowing the structure to carry roof loads and provide large open-plan living spaces, shaping structures in new ways without any restrictions
The arching form provides structural rigidity to the residence, using various spring points throughout the floor plan, allowing the structure to carry roof loads and provide large open-plan living spaces, shaping structures in new ways without any restrictions.
Enlisting the services of Thornton Tomasetti, the team has been printing test beams and partial wall sections to examine their load bearing capabilities.
In generic printed beam tests, a three-foot long beam could carry a load of approximately 3,600 pounds (1,360 kg) while only weighing five pounds (2.3 kg).
The freeform printed matrix is essentially a small space frame, making it highly efficient.
The next stage will be to test the maximum load bearing qualities of each individual printed element of the structure.
Working alongside United States Gypsum, WATG and Branch Technology have been researching a variety of gypsum material components that could be applied on the printed structure to work as fire protection, structural reinforcement and to create a substrate for the application of finished wall materials.
WATG and Branch Technology have engaged Interface, a high-performance mechanical, electrical and plumbing design firm, to design a passive mechanical system with the aim of making the house net zero-energy.
That result of which is that the house will produce as much energy as it consumes, reducing its carbon footprint.