The architecture studio Wimberly, Allison, Tong & Goo (WATG) has drawn up the plans for what they believe will be the world’s first freeform 3D-printed house. The home is called Curve Appeal and it recently won Branch Technology’s Freeform Home Design Challenge. As a result, it will be printed soon. It will also boast of many sustainable features.
The Curve Appeal Home looks a lot like a cave, though the interior is surprisingly spacious and light-filled. The cave-like form comes from the fact that the home is based on quadrilaterally aligned archways, while the designers opted for a curved form so the home blends more organically with its surroundings. The home also features an interior core, which functions as an abutment.
The home features a kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and living area. The home will be built out of 28 panels which will be produced off-site using a 3D printer. These panels will then be slotted together at the build site, and form the two exterior walls, the roof and the interior core. Once assembled these will be hoisted into place and joined together to form the home.
To keep the interior temperatures steady and pleasant, they will follow passive home strategies. The windows will be carefully placed to offer a cross draft and there will be other features in place to allow for the interior to stay cool during the summer and warm during the winter. However, since one whole side of the home is to be glazed, this will likely never be a truly passive house. But all the glass does bring the inhabitants closer to nature, which was one of the main aims of this home’s design.
The home will be built in Chattanooga, Tennessee, US, and they will begin 3D printing the panels next year.
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