A house of mud, aloe vera and egg white, 3D printed in seven weeks: “It works”

Students and researchers at the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) had been working on 3D printing with clay for seven years. They had raised some walls, but it has not been until now when they have built the first building in Spain with this technique. It is a prototype that they have created in seven weeks and could serve as a home. The result shows “that it is a technique that works and that it can enter the market”, says Edouard Cabay, co-director of the project, promoted by the IAAC 3dPA Research Postgraduate Course.Under the name of TOVA, the prototype, located at the from Valldaura Labs of the IAAC, has clay as its main element, which has sculpted a WASP crane; that is, a 3D printer for construction. Why clay? Because “it is a material that we can find everywhere, zero kilometer, natural and biodegradable,” explains Cabay. In addition, he adds, “at a thermal level it works very well, both in summer and in winter.” First building in Spain with mud and 3DIA printer 3D printing mud houses in Los MonegrosEdouard Cabay considers that it is a type of house that could be printed in anywhere, but, taking into account that it works especially well in spaces with a semi-desert climate, he gives Los Monegros (Aragón) as an example. “The material is free, you have it under your feet,” he explains. However, he acknowledges that clay is not as resistant as other materials such as concrete. Therefore, to protect yourself from inclement weather, “it is important to have a good hat and good boots”. That is, protect the roof and the floor of the house, with other materials such as wood and ceramics. Useful in humanitarian emergencies This technique can also be useful in humanitarian emergency situations, in places where concrete or wood is scarce , but have plenty of land. On the other hand, it can contribute to solving problems of access to housing, offering options for the creation of more affordable, fast and sustainable spaces. First building in Spain with clay and 3DIAC printer Zero waste housing Another of the strong points of the project, he points out Edouard Cabay, is that this type of construction does not generate waste, since the materials with which the prototype has been created were obtained within a radius of 50 meters. The mud from the structure has been mixed with other elements such as geopolymer, for the foundation; aloe vera, so that the mud does not dissolve and is more solid and resistant; and egg white, to protect the structure. According to the co-director of the project, “it is one of the most sustainable and environmentally friendly construction models at present”. Now what remains to be done, he says, is convincing people that it is a “feasible technique.”