On 6 March 2015, Ronald Rael, Associate Professor of Architecture at UC Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design, will unveil the first and largest powder-based 3D printed cement structure developed to date. The structure is a freestanding pavilion, measuring 9 ft high and 12 ft x 12 ft across. It has been built with 840 customised blocks, which were 3D printed using an iron oxide-free Portland cement polymer formulation developed by Rael. The pavilion, named ‘Bloom’, is the result of a one-year research project with funding and support from Siam Research and Innovation Co., Ltd (SRI) and the R&D division of Siam Cement Group (SCG).
Following the pavilion’s debut at UC Berkeley, it will be disassembled and shipped to SRI in Thailand. It will be exhibited there for a number of months and subsequently displayed at several locations worldwide.
Adapted from press release by Louise Fordham