3D Printing of Architectural Façades: A Green Construction Approach

The Hamburgische Investitions- und Förderbank (IFB Hamburg), the central funding institute of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, is supporting a groundbreaking project aimed at developing sustainable 3D printed insulation panels. Teccon Consulting & Engineering, in collaboration with the Technical University of Hamburg (TUHH), is leading this initiative, with potential partnership from Trexel.

The vision is to revolutionise the construction industry by printing insulation boards directly on construction sites. These boards, if successful, could be recyclable, CO2-neutral, and significantly cheaper than conventional EPS facade insulation.

The project received a grant of 128,000 euros from IFB Hamburg's PROFI Umwelt program, which focuses on promoting housing and urban development, business, innovation, and the environment. This is not the first project funded by the IFB Hamburg for Teccon Consulting & Engineering.

The initial idea for this project came from an employee's desire to improve the energy efficiency of their home's facade. The process has been found to work, but it's not trivial and requires further development.

Teccon Consulting & Engineering and TUHH are combining traditional insulation materials like hemp or straw with modern 3D processes for building facades. The material must meet numerous requirements, such as fire protection, before it can be approved.

Manthey, from Teccon, emphasised that without the IFB Hamburg's support, they would not be able to conduct research. The IFB Hamburg supports investment projects in Hamburg by granting loans, subsidies, equity participations, and assuming securities.

If successful, the first sustainable insulation boards produced by 3D printing could be available in the market within 2 to 3 years. Initially, the tests will be conducted on single-family houses or small objects before scaling up.

Companies from all sectors and technologies, as well as universities or research institutions cooperating with them, are eligible for funding from the IFB Hamburg's PROFI Umwelt program. The IFB Hamburg's PROFI Umwelt program promotes the development of innovative, market-ready products, processes, or services up to 500,000 euros for individuals and up to one million euros for cooperative projects.

For more information about the IFB Hamburg, visit ifbhh.de. Teccon Consulting & Engineering's website is teccon.de. The IFB Hamburg is cooperating in the creation of this article.

This project represents a significant step towards a more sustainable and energy-efficient future for the construction industry. With the support of the IFB Hamburg, Teccon Consulting & Engineering and TUHH are leading the way in developing innovative solutions that could change the way we construct buildings.