Luyten 3D launches ‘Everlasting Elegance’ – global 3D design competition

Media Release

31st July 2024

Luyten 3D launches ‘Everlasting Elegance’ – global 3D design competition

World-leading 3D construction printers manufacturer, Luyten 3D, has launched a global 3D printing design competition to find the most innovative and future-proof design for the build of a 3D printed property in regional Australia.

The competition is unlike any other design competition that has been delivered across the world due to the strength and credibility of its concept and the organisations involved.

“We have called the competition, Everlasting Elegance, and that is exactly what the initiative will achieve.   We are looking for a design for a home that we can print in a vineyard in Australia that is timeless and sustainable and inspires the world to see the affordability, beauty, resilience and litheness of 3D printing,” Luyten 3D, CEO and global president, Ahmed Mahil said.  

“3D printing is now a conventional form of home building that is not only extremely affordable but also incredibly beautiful.   This competition will amplify this for all the world to see right here in Australia.”

Everlasting Elegance is supported by key partners including the University of New South Wales (UNSW).  The selection panel comprises judges from across the world who are leaders in their fields, highly awarded, published and recognised internationally.

The competition officially runs from the 1st of August 2024 and concludes on 31 March 2025.  Entry is free and open to architectural houses, practicing architects, designers and students.   The panel will select the winning design and the designer will be provided with the opportunity to utilise their design in the featured project.  Commendations will also be provided for superior design concepts.   The overall project is valued at AUD $1.5 million (USD $1 mill equivalent) including the site, build and prize offerings.

The winning design will be used to print a 3D country courtyard house in Pomona NSW, Australia.  Situated in a rural area close to the Murray River in an area known for its vineyards, the to-be-designed house will be used as an estate for country living.   

The design and resultant property will then be used as a showcase example of the exemplary facets of 3D design and printing to achieve outstanding yet affordable building results.

Everlasting Elegance is seeking designs from designers and architects to challenge and imagine how a 3D printed single story house in the context of an arid dry Australian landscape could look like.

Sustainability is a key feature of the project and the winning design will embrace and optimise the use of green technology and fundamentals to achieve this end.

Once the winners are announced, Luyten 3D will work with the winners to print the design using Luyten’s range of 3D printers.

Luyten 3D designs and manufactures a range of cutting-edge 3D printers as well as 3D printing concrete mix.

The Platypus X12, the largest printer in Luyten 3D’s range of 3D printers, is the largest mobile AI powered 3D printer in the world.  It is transformative in operation and can convert from a compact size to six metres in height and 12 metres in length and print using a self-propelled crane which enables it to adjust and move with ease into difficult-to-access spaces and across large sites to print 3D structures. 

“3D printing in the building and construction sector is a fast-evolving area that involves multiple disciplines.  There are many wonderful designers eager to share their skills in creating the blueprint for a design where all the best features of a 3D home can be incorporated to evidence the extraordinary aesthetic and functional benefits of 3D printing,” Mahil said.

“This will be a monument for all eternity and demonstrate the capability of 3D printing and its capacity to create designs that immerse with the environment at no extra cost.  The degree of customisation achievable is unparalleled.

“Our competition, Everlasting Elegance, will provide designers with the platform to showcase their talents and passion for this wonderful industry.”

Professor Philip Oldfield, head of School at UNSW Built Environment and Professor of Architecture explained the building sector is facing a number of wicked challenges, most noticeably the need for more housing globally, and the need to reduce our carbon emissions. 3D printing construction techniques could be a novel way to help combat these – for instance, allowing for low-carbon and local materials such as earth to be used to quickly construct homes in remote regions.

“Design competitions are a great way for architects and designers to ‘test the water’, to use creativity and ingenuity to challenge the conventional ways of doing things,” Professor Oldfield added.

“The construction sector is very risk averse, and it can take years for new technologies and ways of building to catch on. The advantage of a competition like this is it can showcase the opportunities for 3D printing in a climate and on a site where it could really be beneficial, and where the material and sustainability benefits of 3D printed techniques can be explored.

“At UNSW we have a commitment to equipping our students with the skills and knowledge to establish great careers, and to become agents of change in their chosen industry. So, we’re delighted to be involved in this design competition, as it provides the platform for our students to test their skills and creativity on a novel construction technology, but with a robust and real-world brief.”

About Luyten

Luyten 3D designs and manufactures custom large-scale three-dimensional concrete printers that cater for all project needs on site from conceptual design through to the final product. The business offers 3D concrete printing solutions for the incorporation of three-dimensional membranes on traditional construction sites, as well as on-site concrete printing consultations, operational assistance, and rental service offerings.

Luyten 3D’s cutting edge 3D printer technology enables builders to transform construction projects that would traditionally take months or years to complete and instead finish them within a number of days. The 3D concrete printing revolutionary technology enables 60 percent reduction of construction waste, 70 percent reduction of production time, and 80 percent reduction of labour costs when compared to hands-on construction projects.

https://www.luyten3d.com 

Competition Webpage:

https://www.luyten3d.com/everlasting-elegance

ENDS