Ceramics Additive Manufacturing Construction 3D Printing

Studio RAP 3D prints 4,000 ceramic tiles for stunning New Delft Blue construction project

Davide Sher September 25, 2020

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Dutch construction design firm Studio RAP has been 3D printing ceramic tiles for their work on design elements of the pioneering New Delft Blue project in the historic Dutch city of Delft. After printing these tests at Studio RAP’s workshop, the tiles went straight into the kiln at Koninklijke Tichelaar where they were also beautifully glazed.

Using an algorithmic approach to 3D pattern design and combining the tile with artisanal glazing is a process that gives us incredible joy.

New Delft Blue is a pioneering project in the historic Dutch city of Delft that reinterprets the world-famous decorative qualities and design vocabulary of Delft Blue porcelain. By fusing 3D clay printing, computational design and artisanal glazing, the architectural potential of ceramics and ornament the 21st century is revealed.

The tiles are 3D printed, which allows for the creation of approximately four thousand contemporary, rich and unique ceramic tiles that together form the two gates to a beautiful courtyard. Using an algorithmic approach to 3D pattern design certain manufacturing constraints (maximum overhang, width, height and depth, shrinkage constraints and internal support structure) are taken into account when generating the geometry of the tiles.

According to Material District, the gates are four metres wide, eight metres high and twelve metres deep. They will be covered in approximately 4,000 ceramic tiles, which are currently being printed.

According to Studio Rap, the 3D printed ceramic tiles make for a high-quality cladding material, which offers low maintenance and high durability. The studio also uses this cladding for a residential high-rise project.

This project is being built by BPD Gebiedsontwikkeling and Ballast Nedam Development.