What It Takes To 3-D Print A Building
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We’ve seen some neat plans for 3-D printed architecture. But completed buildings? Those are a little more rare.

Which makes this new project, conceived and built by architecture studio Smith|Allen, all the more intriguing. Echoviren is a 3-D printed pre-fab house–or, since it’s only 10 feet tall, maybe more of a shack or tent. The architects used seven Series 1 3D Printers to print out 585 plastic pieces, then hauled them to the Redwood Forest and clasped them together to create this structure. The printing process took the seven machines two months, then the architects built the structure in four days.

No, it’s not meant for people–the architects see it as an artificial habitat for wildlife. Birds, for instance, could use it as a place to nest. And, after a few decades, the plastic will decompose. Check out the building process below:

What It Takes To 3-D Print A Building

Bryan Allen and Stephanie Smith