The 3D printed buildings we loved in 2023

From space homes to building in war zones, 3D printing pushed the limits this year.
By Teodosia Dobriyanova  on 
A render image shows parts of a grey 3D printed lunar habitat resting on the moon's surface against the dark space surrounding it.
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The 3D printing industry has come a long way since its dawn in the 1980s. Though the technology's evolution began somewhat slowly, things changed in the early 2000s when many 3D printing patents expired, leading to the so-called democratisation of the industry. This allowed virtually everyone to use the technology and experiment with it, providing you had the tools and funds.

Today, 3D printing is pretty much everywhere — from biomedicine and construction, to smaller, sometimes sillier outlets, like 3D printed cocktails. But one of its widest, and most impressive, applications is in the world of architecture, so we looked back at three impressive building projects from this year that were made possible thanks to 3D printing.

Picture of Teodosia
Teodosia Dobriyanova
Video Producer

Teodosia is a video producer at Mashable UK, focussing on stories about climate resilience, urban development, and social good.


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