Aectual 3D Prints a Wall for the United Arab Emirates Pavilion

If you’re interested in 3D printing and its environmental benefits, you’ve probably heard of Aectual. The company which is based in Amsterdam, is widely known for producing applications designed from recycled plastic. Recently, the company again caught a lot of attention for its newest project. At the Floriade Expo 2022, a horticultural exhibition in Almere, the Netherlands, Aectual collaborated with architecture studio Pragma to 3D print a recyclable wall. Intended for the United Arab Emirates, the exterior wall encircles the area inside the exhibition that is dedicated to the country.

This isn’t the first time that Aectual has created such an application. For CES 2022, the company used a large-format 3D printer to design partitions for the Dutch pavilion. This time however, the company’s printed wall encompasses the 2,000-square-meter United Arab Emirates pavilion. Hans Vermeulen, CEO of Aectual, reflected on the benefits of additive manufacturing, commenting: “Large scale industrial 3D printing is coming of age. This project demonstrates beautifully how our digital design algorithms give designers flexibility in tailored design and on-demand production.”

Photo Credits: Aectual

Recyclable and reprintable walls

Composed of patterns similar to the architecture of the United Arab Emirates, the wall is fully recyclable and reprintable. While Aectual does not give any closer details on the 3D printing process used, the company does say that the technology has reduced CO2 emissions by 80% compared to traditional construction techniques. The part where the construction stands out most, is in the ability to reuse all of the elements and design new parts. This way, the Dutch company has ensured that the walls are completely circular. As for the materials applied, Aectual used a flaxseed-based plastic developed in partnership with Henkel, that can be recycled up to seven times.