Sandstone 3D printing for the Urban Dunes architecture project

Additive manufacturing has established itself as not only a viable, but desirable solution for many architecture-related projects. Architects and designers choose to use 3D printing for various reasons: more complex geometries, sustainability, unique material properties, lower costs. For instance, we have covered a story about the 3D printed facade made with ceramic blocks, its purpose was to provide a natural ventilation system during hot weather. The latest architecture project that caught our attention is also concerned with a similar issue – hot climate. Called The Urban Dunes, it is a project which envisions a sustainable solution to reduce the heat island effect for the extreme climate of Abu Dhabi. The Italian design firm Barberio Colella Architects together with architect Angelo Figliola came up with a unique design that they plan to complete using 3D printing technologies.

The Italian team plans to use advanced technologies and at the same time pay tribute to traditional architecture – the structure will consist of elegant vaulted spaces, vernacular shading devices, and cold-water basins. The vault (illustrated on the cover image of the article) is composed of several blocks made of 3D printed sandstone, using the local sand as a primary material. The sand is solodified through binder jetting, which allows to manufacture large-sized blocks with a high level of precision. The use of a 3D printed vault with a thickness of 55 cm, permits to avoid the overheating of the urban space thanks to the high thermal mass of the shell. How exactly will the Urban Dunes solve the over-heating issue?

The sand is mixed with heat-reflective cool pigments to increase surface reflectance and reduce surface heat build-up, thus reducing energy consumption through lower cooling requirements. The space below the vault represents an urban microclimatic space protected from the sun using a vernacular sun shading device called mashrabiyya, which also enhances the natural ventilation of the space. In fact, the wind meets the perforated surface of the mashrabiyya and increases its speed – this incoming airflow touches cold water basins, thus further spreading a sense of freshness inside the public space.