BANYAN ECO WALL, fully 3D printed self-watering wall

The BANYAN ECO WALL is a fully 3D printed irrigated green wall, featuring an embedded drainage system, which also showcases bionic design. It is the work of NOWLAB using BigRep’s large-format 3D printers. This prototype is a perfect example of the unprecedented innovations we can achieve in design with the use of 3D technologies. It is not only innovative in terms of design but also in terms of functionality, technology and size.

The green wall features an innovative embedded water supply and drainage system, BigRep CEO Stephan Beyer, PhD explains, “Our BANYAN ECO WALL is adopting nature’s principle with a complex, smart, elegant design only achievable with AM. Traditional technologies such as milling or injection molding cannot deliver this level of complexity and dual functionality. For the first time, thanks to AM and advanced CAD software, it is now possible to create complex functional designs with a fully digitized process chain.”

Before this prototype, a drainage system would have been integrated later on, based on complicated set-ups involving many different parts. It is a key piece of this green wall, as excess water must be removed. As a result, a plant can grow easily in this optimised environment.