WATG's Urban Architecture Studio took out first prize in the Freeform Home Design Challenge, which invited architects, designers, engineers and artists to propose a 3D-printed dwelling.

  Their project – titled Curve Appeal – comprises a curvaceous, arching structure made up of panels that create an exterior skin and an interior core. These are combined to form the roof and large portions of the facade. Consideration of mechanical, electrical, plumbing and lighting services was also required, as well as passive solar design strategies.They incorporated large sections of glazing into its design to minimise the need for artificial lighting, while the archways are intended to blend the building into its site – the location of which is undisclosed.

    WATG的城市建筑工作室在“自由形態(tài)家庭設(shè)計(jì)挑戰(zhàn)”中贏得了一等獎，獲邀參與者“設(shè)計(jì)世界上第一個(gè)自由3D打印住宅”。比賽邀請了全球的建筑師，設(shè)計(jì)師，藝術(shù)家和工程師研究3D打印技術(shù)如何改進(jìn)我們的建筑環(huán)境和生活。

    該設(shè)計(jì)競賽的挑戰(zhàn)是設(shè)計(jì)一個(gè) 55-75平方英尺的單戶住宅，推動“傳統(tǒng)建筑美學(xué)，人體工程學(xué)，建筑系統(tǒng)和結(jié)構(gòu)的邊界”的釋放狀態(tài)。

    獲勝的設(shè)計(jì)包括兩個(gè)中心組件：內(nèi)部核心和外部表層。開放式，光線充足的室內(nèi)生活空間通過被動太陽能設(shè)計(jì)策略滿足照明需求，并將居民的生活環(huán)境連接到外部空間和自然本身。 “外部皮膚”包括復(fù)雜的拱門，與周圍環(huán)境和諧的有機(jī)結(jié)構(gòu)。

    根據(jù)分支技術(shù)創(chuàng)始人Platt Boyd的看法，“曲線”對現(xiàn)場條件反應(yīng)良好，放大了大量制造的可能性，并推動了可行的范圍，同時(shí)仍然使用更經(jīng)濟(jì)的方法進(jìn)行傳統(tǒng)的建筑系統(tǒng)集成。

    該房屋計(jì)劃在田納西州查塔努加的科技實(shí)驗(yàn)室開始規(guī)劃階段，預(yù)計(jì)2017年開始3D打印。