3 Benefits of Using 3D Printers in Architecture

May 16, 2018

Imagine you’re about to hear a long business presentation after lunch. You’re pretty full, it’s a bit warm in the room, and your mind wanders to all of the things you still have to do this afternoon. At least the presentation is about something new and improved. Actually the sales rep is giving a pitch about their new door nobs. Not interesting…until the sales rep whips out a plastic model of the door nob. It’s smooth, sturdy, and fits perfectly into your hand. The sales rep tells you to imagine it silver. Yeah, you could imagine that. Imagine fastened to your office door. A new door nob sounds nice.

An exact model would enhance the presentation of any sales pitch, wouldn’t it? Now it’s possible thanks to 3D printers. This is just one example of sales pitches could be enhanced using 3D printed models.

Sure, it might be more interesting to look at a model of a 3D printed house, but for sales reps, this could be a dream come true. The architectural industry is highly competitive industry, and with clients having a variety of choice, architectural firms are seeking performance and innovation, which is achievable with 3D technology.  Using the technology, architects can create models and showcase beautiful designs in a very tangible way. The printers allow the architects to rapidly transform the digital 3D sketches, which creates an awe-inspiring visual model in front of the clients. Furthermore, these printers can create an object of high quality and help architects build a strong customer base.

The immersive technology offers a bouquet of benefits to the budding architectures and is transforming the landscape of customer interaction in this field.

1. Ability to test multiple projects with 3D printers

3D technology adds value by increasing productivity. It can create many concepts and iterations during the early phase of the project. It also helps in identifying potential bottlenecks, which becomes difficult to locate at the later stages. Furthermore, using 3D printers, architects can print low-cost models overnight and get the approval of the client in the morning. Based on previous models, architects can tweak changes, redesign the model and present it to the prospects. Adding a lot of iterations in the project enable the architect to understand, which parameters will influence the surrounding of the design.  The ability to test multiple projects simultaneously reduces cost and ensure that the projects are completed as per the deadline.

2. 3D printers reuse, recycle and reduce waste

The additive manufacturing saves time, cost and eliminates the waste by more than 90% because 3D printed models are created. The fine-featured models are created using the plant-based biodegradable material or recycle PET material. Going into a meeting with the exact model of the building serves as an excellent visualization tool. Furthermore, the client doesn’t care about the material used to create the model. The technology promotes greener environment by using biodegradable material and curbs down the waste, which forms a significant chunk of the revenue. The ability to reuse, recycle the material and reduce waste, is one of the reasons for growing popularity of 3D printers in the architectural space.

3. Ability to process the model faster

The process of constructing a model by hand is a tedious and time-consuming process. Creating a model using cardboard, foam or wood, affects the project timeline. In contrast, 3D printers cut down the timeline and allow the designers to prepare a model with precision overnight. It reduces the cost by 75%, which comes as good news for the architects looking to create affordable models. Furthermore, these printers can work overnight, thereby increasing the productivity.

Today, the need of the hour for architects is to communicate the idea giving in-depth information and dimension about the project. It will help the architectural firms stand out from the crowd and leave a lasting impact in the minds of the customers.

For your 3D scanning and 3D printers, call Arrival 3D at 866-687-7784.