Revolutionizing Sustainability: The Natural Composite Pillar

Stylianos Dritsas and Javier Fernandez's Award-Winning Prototype

The Natural Composite Pillar was born out of a desire to mitigate the environmental repercussions associated with the rampant use of synthetic polymer plastics. The designers aimed to create a new material process that was not only sustainable but also free from petrochemical adhesives and chemical solvents known for their adverse human and environmental effects.

What sets this prototype apart is its utilization of exclusively natural materials, including cellulose, the most abundant biomaterial on earth often associated with plant matter, and chitin, a biomolecule extracted from the exoskeleton of insects and arthropods. The result is a sustainable manufacturing technology that stands as one of the largest 3D printed biological artifacts today.

The designers developed a large-scale additive manufacturing technology for natural biomaterials, which includes an industrial robot and a viscous colloid dispensing system. The physical and mechanical properties of the material fall within the range of high-density synthetic foams and low-density timbers. Furthermore, the material is based on renewable sources, widely available in nearly every ecosystem, and is naturally biodegradable.

The pillar itself measures between 0.6 and 1.0 m in diameter, stands 5m tall, and weighs 100kg. It was printed in 50 vertical segments, adhered with the same material into larger blocks. The printing process took approximately 60 hours, with each segment requiring between 0.5 to 2.0 hours.

The prototype demonstrates the potential for creating large-scale, self-supporting objects using 3D printing. It was produced between June and October 2018 and is currently exhibited at the Singapore University of Technology and Design. The project faced challenges due to the innate variability of natural materials, but these were overcome through the development of machine learning models that predict material behavior.

The Natural Composite Pillar is not just a design but a statement. It showcases the possibility of transitioning towards environmentally benign and circular models of manufacturing and design. This innovative approach earned the design a Silver in A' Sustainable Products, Projects and Green Design Award in 2019, a testament to its remarkable design and innovation.