UNDP Turns to 3D Printing to Build in Colombia
We have heard it time and time again, one of the biggest crises facing different regions in the world is the lack of housing in different areas. Whether in the US, India, the EU or anywhere else, many countries are facing what is known as a housing deficit, wherein there is a lack of the number of houses needed for the population of an area. And in South America, one of the worst hit is Colombia. Luckily, there may now be a solution. It seems that the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) will be turning to 3D printing to help build in the country.
In Colombia, as of 2023, 3.7 million households (more than a quarter of the country’s total) face a household deficit. This is further aggravated by the fact that two out of every three of these families also need to carry out structural improvements to homes, according to the World Bank. The problem has grown so severe that the government of Colombia has been actively working to close the gap, notably through National Development Plan 2023-2026, and increase access to housing in lower-income households. This is where the UNDP also plays a role, marked now with the acquisition of a Crane WASP 3D printer that will be used for the construction of buildings and services.
UNDP is turning to 3D printing for construction in Colombia
For those who may not be familiar, the UNDP is a United Nations agency that works to eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human development. Currently, it is active in 177 countries and territories, including Colombia. And the decision to turn to 3D printing through the Crane WASP is a significant milestone for work in the region.
We have told you before about the Crane WASP. Unlike other construction 3D printing solutions, the printer does not use concrete but rather can print directly with local soil and natural materials such as agricultural waste. Given the UNDP’s commitment to sustainable development, it seems understandable that this is the 3D printer it would choose to build in Colombia.
Not only that, but the large-scale 3D printer, which was inspired by the Potter Wasp, is versatile and mobile. This means that it can even be used in challenging terrains where it would be impossible for large, stationary machines to reach. Furthermore, it has a low energy consumption, allowing it to be used even in remote, desert areas. Considering that lack of access to decent housing in Colombia is most widespread in rural areas, including in forests, deserts and even mountains, this is especially important.
The Crane WASP 3D printer
In a press release discussing the news, WASP notes that the purchase of the Crane WASP by the UNDP “fulfills the very vision that inspired the creation of WASP’s project: to develop technologies that deliver effective benefits to humanity through innovation and research.” The company further notes that it hopes that the dissemination of these construction 3D printers will help to overcome geographic limitations and expand access to more sustainable construction methods. In any case, what is certain is that construction 3D printing is continuing to gain in popularity and perhaps we will see the UNDP turning to it in other countries.
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*All Photo Credits: WASP
How do I purchase a 3D house printer
You know very well that we have an affordable housing shortage in the USA and the free market can fix it. The phony Democrats want to keep the poor on the government plantation and propertyless, (they are racists as hell) and want mascots for misery as their voting base. Many states use property taxes for their main source of revenue, deliberately. For God’s sake. marry somebody you love and do your own work.. First, we have to oust the Bureau of Land Management as unconstitutional and expose the lying two-faced Democrats for their hypocrisy. Utah is leading the charge, wherre 80% of all its land is BLM (that does not include parks and nature preserves or monuments). The socialists want a bottleneck in evolution through manmade shortages of energy, water and housing. Try to pitch this 3D Printing housing revolution to the Indian Reservtions first, they have expanded their casino empire to the consturction industry in Fox Woods, CT. I want a capitalist revolution in America! We Seniors are soon going to be sleeping under picknic tables.
If we can find a way for this structure to move to a new location once it finishes a build, we could send it and the related machinery to Mars to start building spaces, now, in readiness for humans when we eventually send them. Then, all that will be needed will be to insert within the structure a relatively light bag that gets inflated with air.
There have been a few projects already related to 3D printing in space, including with the potential to print on Mars! The possibility of printing with regolith directly on the surfaces of planetary bodies seems to be one of the most promising ways to actually build up structures off world. We highlighted a few of them in this article (https://www.3dnatives.com/en/using-3d-printing-to-conquer-outer-space-210420226/) and this one (https://www.3dnatives.com/en/infographic-3d-printing-and-its-role-in-space-exploration-190120225/)