Systems Reef 2, an Innovative “Breathing” Ventilation System Made Using 3D Printing

When it comes to finding new applications for 3D printing, there truly seems to be no limit. Case in point, the Australian architectural firm BVN and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) have developed Systems Reef 2, an air distribution system made using 3D printing that, according to those responsible for the project, “breathes” like the skin of a frog. The interesting thing about this new solution is that it has 90% less embodied carbon than a standard air conditioning system, demonstrating its commitment to environmental sustainability.

When it comes to treating the air around us, additive manufacturing also has its role to play. We have seen this on numerous occasions, such as with the AMS Mini and AMS Auto, the 3D printed devices capable of filtering and cleaning the air. However, this time, we are not talking about an invention that purifies the air, but one that helps in the diffusion of air. All this in a more sustainable way thanks to the use of 3D printing.

Project managers with one of the 3D printed parts of the Systems Reef 2 (photo credits: BVN / UTS)

3D Printing Was Used to Create Systems Reef 2

The idea arose from the many shortcomings the researchers observed in traditional air conditioners. Air conditioning systems are often made of sheet steel, with a high level of embodied carbon and the use of far more material than necessary. They also waste energy because they are structurally inefficient and difficult to replace after installation. According to Ninotschka Titchkosky, co-executive director of BVN, manufacturing has not changed much since their invention in the 20th century. “At the moment, the systems that we have, they’re really inflexible, they’re not particularly great for human comfort, they’re really expensive to change and they really limit the way we want to occupy buildings now in the 21st century, which is much more adaptive and agile,” she adds. Thus was born Systems Reef 2, or SR2, an air-conditioning system that integrates a computer-optimized shape and is made with 3D printing.