3D printing made its mainstream debut on The Block earlier this week, and offered a glimpse into what the technology will bring to the built environment of the future.

Contour 3D’s printing tech was utilised to construct a pool cabana for the Channel 9 show. The cabana was created in just 28 hours and is a far more cost effective and sustainable way to construct structures and elements of houses.

Contour 3D believes the technology will slash construction times and double the lifespan of houses. The cabana was created with a concrete mix that was crafted by Contour and UNSW. It contains 30 percent of recycled materials, and is the first 3D-printed structure to be implemented on an Australian site. The concrete used on The Block is a beta version, with both organisations hoping a self-insulated concrete mix with 70 percent recycled material will be developed.

Nick Holden, CEO of Contour 3D, tells the Sydney Morning Herald the Australian-developed technology had never been utilised for a project the size of a cabana.

“The building industry is the last to be fully automated using tech such as robotics. The industry is still building pretty much the way it did 2,000 or 3,000 years ago,” he says.

“If we made a mistake, it was certainly going to end up in print. Even up to a couple of weeks before, we really didn’t feel we were ready to go, but it was an unbelievable result in the end. It was nerve-wracking though.”

Contour hopes artificial intelligence will eventually aid the printing process, resulting in a concrete mix that can be altered depending on climate and weather conditions. Its next project is for a tiny home, located in Gymea.

For more information, visit contour3d.com.au.

Images: Contour3D

Jarrod Reedie

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