3D printer

A 3D printer is a machine that builds a physical object from a 3D model by depositing material one layer at a time, which is why the process is called additive manufacturing. In architecture offices the most common types are FDM printers, which extrude melted plastic filament, and resin printers, which cure liquid resin with light. Systems that fuse powder with a laser are mostly found at professional print services.

What architects use 3D printers for

Scale models, above all. Compared with cut-and-glue models, complex forms, curved facades and repeated details are far easier to produce. Massing studies, site models and detail prototypes can be tested quickly too. Large machines that print concrete at building scale also exist, but that is a specialist field of its own.

From model to print

A model that looks fine on screen is not always ready to print. The geometry has to be closed, thin elements need enough thickness, and the file usually goes to a slicer as STL. Supports, print orientation and layer height decide both surface quality and print time. After printing, removing supports, sanding and painting make up half of a good model.

Physical models and renders are not rivals; they work best together. For a look at where 3D printing may be heading at house scale, read 3D house modeling and 3D-printed homes.