April 2013 – Concrete
This issue is something of a celebration of concrete, perhaps the most versatile of construction materials, whether sprayed, poured or precast.
But we also aim to cater for those that consider concrete to be a bit analogue – too much sand and cement and not enough 1s and 0s for this digital world. So we explore developments in the world of 3D printing and what it might mean for construction. Hold on to your head. It transpires that things are moving remarkably rapidly. (Why am I always surprised by the accelerating pace of change?Age, I guess.)
As a journalist, my work is presented in two dimensions, on paper and on screen. But when I think about 3D in construction, I am reminded of Skyfall director Sam Mendes who, when asked if he’d considered doing something in 3D, politely reminded his interviewer that as the director of the Donmar Warehouse theatre for 10 years, he’d already done rather a lot of three dimensional work. For builders, 3D is not a new concept either.
I do not pretend to know how 3D printing will change construction. I suspect it will be significant, but like fax machines or video tape, something even more amazing will replace it soon enough.
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