A 3D printed pavilion made from recycled plastic bottles

MEAN (Middle East Architecture Network) designed a 3D printed pavilion made from plywood, 3D printed concrete and 3D printed recycled PET.

Designed for Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC), the pavilion is “an exploration in scaling processes to the architectural realm.” It is a hybrid made of 3 different materials. The flooring is made of CNC-milled birch plywood. The base is made of robotically 3D printed concrete. Finally, the stems are also 3D printed, made of a plastic polymer made of 30,000 discarded water bottles.

Called Deciduous, the name refers to trees that seasonally shed leaves, usually in Autunm, which is this year’s theme for Art Night events at DIFC.

The pavilion was completely pre-fabricated off-site. The parts are mechanically joined on-site with no need for heavy machinery. Computational modelling was used to conceive and quantify the design to a level of detailing optimal within the parameters and constraints of Large Format Robotic 3D Printing.

MEAN states, “In light of Dubai’s focus on 3D printing as a sustainable technology, the hybridization of state-of-the-art Robotic 3D printing in Plastic and Concrete is a first attempt to explore the possibilities that the two technologies can offer, contributing to the emirate’s vision of ecological construction growth towards 2025.”

Photos: NAARO / MEAN