We live in a time when 3D printing has matured from a hobbyist and prototyping tool to a technology with
potential to disrupt entire industries in and around the built environment. The developments in additive
manufacturing are transforming architecture and design no less than they impact engineering and
construction. The book portrays the rapid advances in research and industrial processes that have paved
the road for this upheaval.
In five chapters that cover historical development, engineering aspects, the digital design process,
interactions with other technologies and potential for functionalization through additive manufacturing, the
editors have curated a text that illustrates how a complex network of actors inspires and influences each
other to make this technological transformation possible.
The book follows the trail of scientists who prove the technology's viability and documents design
explorations, prototypes and entire buildings that are demonstrating their readiness for the commercial
market.