{"id":14118,"date":"2019-06-07T00:01:11","date_gmt":"2019-06-07T00:01:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/?p=14118"},"modified":"2019-06-06T16:43:03","modified_gmt":"2019-06-06T16:43:03","slug":"3d-printed-structures-070620194","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/3d-printed-structures-070620194\/","title":{"rendered":"Creating beautiful 3D printed structures inspired by nature"},"content":{"rendered":"

Together with acclaimed designer Neri Oxman and The Mediated Matter Group, Stratasys<\/a> is showcasing how its 3D printing technology can achieve great art and design<\/a> opportunities by producing beautiful 3D printed structures inspired by nature. The project is a collection of artefacts made almost entirely from organic matter and shaped by water. This collaboration led to the creation of a 5-meter high \u2018AguaHoja\u2019 frame and a complex ‘Totem’ structure.<\/p>\n

The \u2018AguaHoja I\u2019 pavilion is a tall, honey-colored cocoon structure that is composed of the most abundant biopolymers on the planet. Given the extremely large size of this structure and its complex geometry, it\u2019s Stratasys\u2019 F900 3D printer that was selected as it offers a large building volume. However, the assembly of the structure was also challenging. Therefore, a number of custom features were also 3D printed to hold each individual component together. Neri Oxman explains, \u201cThe support from\u00a0Stratasys\u00a0to the\u00a0Aguahoja project\u00a0offered my team and I the unique capability to design complex shapes that ensure the structure\u2019s geometric stability, while also faithfully upholding the organic integrity that is central to the project\u2019s theme. The ability to quickly iterate the design throughout the project using 3D printing enabled us to optimize the structure and aesthetics of the pavilion in a way not possible with traditional techniques<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Front View of the Aguahoja Pavilion: A small opening is designed to enable one person to immerse him\/herself in the multiscale legibility of both aesthetic and performative design considerations. | Credits: The Mediated Matter Group\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n

The second project, also called the \u2018Totem\u2019 seeks to address designers\u2019 ability to chemically synthesizes the \u2018pigment of life\u2019, melanin. Included in the project is an architectural proposal for an environmentally responsive melanin-infused glass-like structure. The channels in the glass structure, within which the melanin is housed, were 3D printed using a transparent digital material from Stratasys.<\/p>

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An image of the final Totem piece, which has been 3D printed to include six distinct liquid channels and pockets. Each pocket contains melanin from a different species, from bird to cuttlefish. Produced by Stratasys, Ltd. | Credits: Neri Oxman and The Mediated Matter Group<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cOne of the key criteria for Totem was the need to securely contain the melanogenic structure without compromising the ability to flawlessly promote every level of visual detail. As a result, we used an advanced transparent 3D printing material that can simulate the clarity of glass, enabling a clear visualization of the internal components and features<\/em>,\u201d explains Neri Oxman.<\/p>\n