Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne has secured nearly half a million dollars from the Australian Research Council to investigate a new approach to 3D printed earth houses
Swinburne researchers Dr Mohamed Gomaa, Professor Jay Sanjayan, Professor Blair Kuys, dean, School of Design & Architecture, and Professor John Evans, pro vice-chancellor Indigenous Engagement, will collaborate with industry partner Luyten 3D to develop a system for producing 3D printed homes for social housing.
The 2024 Linkage Project aims to overcome current limitations in 3D earth printing by standardising a new, multi-feed extrusion technique to be used on engineered earth mixtures, with on-demand fibre mixing features.
The 3D printing project will offer a substitute for conventional concrete construction – in turn addressing the critical demand for affordable and sustainable dwellings, especially in regional Australia and remote communities.
The project adds to a growing breadth of Swinburne projects revolutionising the world of building construction – such as Swinburne’s new Indigenous Building Co-Fab initiative, which tackles housing affordability and sustainability by creating innovative pathways to upskilling Indigenous communities themselves.
The 3D printed homes project draws on cross-disciplinary expertise, with researchers spanning Swinburne’s School of Design & Architecture, School of Engineering, Centre for Sustainable Infrastructure & Digital Construction and Moondani Toombadool Centre.
The Swinburne research team was awarded $436,000 for the project. A contribution of $150,000 from industry partner Luyten 3D, a provider of advanced 3D construction printing technology, will provide additional support to the project.
Conserving digital artefacts to drive new media arts, design and architecture knowledge
A second project, funded through the Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities (LIEF) scheme, aims to extend the reach of the Australian Emulation Network to conserve digital artefacts for use by researchers.
Swinburne’s Professor Melanie Swalwell will lead a project to conserve digital artefacts and make them accessible for research use, harnessing the Australian Emulation Network.
The Australian Emulation Network aims to provide access to culturally significant born-digital artefacts held in the archives and collections of Australian universities, research institutions and organisations in the Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums (GLAM) sector.
The project will extend the network’s reach, targeting high value collections from university archives and the GLAM sector to offer emulated access to researchers. Emulation uses current technology to recreate digital artefacts’ original hardware and software environments, combating obsolescence to ensure digital artefacts remain available to researchers.
The project expects to generate new knowledge across media arts, design and architecture. It also seeks to build skills in preserving and emulating digital cultural artefacts – including software preservation and sharing legacy computer environments – across a broadening network.
Professor Swalwell was awarded $544,947 for the project.
