Tag Archives: 3D-printed

Top 10 3D printed products designed to make sustainability a part of your everyday life

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3D Printing is gaining more momentum and popularity than ever! Designers and architects all over the world are now adopting 3D Printing for the creation of almost all types of products and structures. It’s a technique that is being widely utilized in product design, owing to its simple and innovative nature. But designers aren’t employing 3D printing only to create basic models, they’re utilizing this technique in mind-blowing ways as well! From an electric violin with a 3D-printed body to a pair of 3D-printed shoes that’ll make you feel like Bigfoot – the scope of this dependable technique is unlimited! Dive into this collection of humble yet groundbreaking 3D-printed designs.

1. 3D-printed Wrench

Look at these wrenches and you’ll almost instantly notice something different about them. Unlike the die-cast wrenches you see with solid metal bodies, these unique tools from Desktop Metal come with a textured inner surface, featuring multiple holes and cavities.

Why is it noteworthy?

The inner surface of these wrenches uses a gyroid-style in-fill, commonly seen in 3D printing to fill up inner spaces with support material while conserving plastic. The gyroid inner mass gives these metal wrenches their strength while simultaneously cutting down on material and weight. The result is the same, functional tool but with nearly 30% less mass and weight.

What we like

  • The parts have a much higher and more uniform density (up to 99%) than other metal 3D printing methods while being much faster too

What we dislike

  • The prototype wrench is less of an actual product and more of a showcase of Desktop Metal’s capabilities

2. Karen Ultralight Electric Violin

While the name Karen Ultralight Electric Violin may not be the best moniker for this instrument, it’s definitely the kind you won’t be able to ignore. Envisioned by Anima Design for Katahashi Instruments the Karen Ultralight is a dynamic electric violin that ditches conventional wooden acoustic chambers for something more eye-catching.

Why is it noteworthy?

The violin comes with a relatively hollow body made through generative design, which still provides strength with minimal use of material. The 3D-printed generative frame sits on a carbon fiber body, with a birchwood fingerboard for an elevated yet familiar playing experience. Working just like an electric guitar, the Karen Ultralight has a 1/4-inch jack output, but even sports an internal 9V battery and a headphone jack so you can ‘silently’ play music directly into your headphones without disturbing the neighbors!

What we like

  • Uses a popular design technique called generative design
  • A slot on the back lets you put in a 9V battery and plug your own headphones into the Karen, giving you the ability to play silently, right into your ear

What we dislike

  • Without trying this, we cannot say how the music produced will sound like minus the wooden timbre

3. Wilson Airless Basketball

Using a format and technique similar to those airless car tire concepts we’ve seen before, Wilson’s latest airless basketball employs a similar see-through 3D-printed mesh to create a ball that bounces just like a basketball… but looks like nothing any basketball you’ve ever seen before.

Why is it noteworthy?

Created as an experimental prototype by Wilson Sporting Goods Co.’s R&D (Basketball) division, the Airless Basketball prototype is a stunning piece of design and engineering that looks, weighs, and bounces just like a basketball, but fundamentally rethinks the ball’s physical structure and underlying physics.

What we like

  • The ball employs a 3D hexagonal mesh structure that’s highly elastic, enabling it to bounce just like a pressurized ball
  • Doesn’t need pumping for refilling

What we dislike

  • A lot of factors remain undetermined, like the ball’s lifespan, resistance to damage, how well players can grip it, whether objects can get stuck inside the ball’s mesh, how it reacts to spin, and what its overall aerodynamics are

4. The PSFF Bench

The PSFF Bench is a prototype and is a furniture piece with a sculptural appeal to it. It is 3D printed using concrete! Besides adding character to the square and enhancing its overall appeal, the bench aims to function as an off-the-shelf solution for providing public skateboard-focused furniture to places all over the world.

Why is it noteworthy?

With this project, Holland hopes to bring iconic sweeping skate landscapes, and minimal concrete design to the skating world of Southampton. It includes a collection of 3D-printed furniture pieces that are wholly focused on skating. The objects are created using concrete, and no other material.

What we like

  • The 3D-printing process is supremely optimized and produces premium-quality construction products

What we dislike

  • Aesthetics are dull and unassuming

5. The Cryptide Sneaker

The Cryptide 3D Sneaker Sintratec

The Cryptide Sneaker was designed by Stephan Henrich for Sintratec. The German architect and designer came up with a pair of full 3D shoes meant to be laser sintered with a flexible TPE material. Using a Sintratec S2 System 3D printer, the shoes were formed and printed.

Why is it noteworthy?

The Cryptide features a sole with an open design. The designer said it was made possible by SLS production (Selective Laser Sintering) and a material called Sintratec TPE elastomer. Simply put, SLS is an additive manufacturing that takes advantage of a laser to sinter particles into a more solid 3D structure. Henrich and Sintratec worked together to bring the sneaker design into reality.

What we like

  • The size and shape can adapt to the foot of the wearer
  • They remind us of the Adidas Futurecraft 4D!

What we dislike

  • They don’t rate high on aesthetics + style

6. Cozy Cleo

Based in Germany, the design studio EveryOtherDay designed this 3D-printed table lamp. It was created using recycled plastic bottles and cardboard. This sustainable product is a fine specimen of circular design and wholly embodies minimalistic design principles.

Why is it noteworthy?

The table lamp is Rasenberger’s innovative attempt to tackle the excessive wastage of cardboard, and instead incorporate it in a circular design process, providing the material with a new and redefined identity. In this entire process, almost 200g of cardboard, and 10 plastic bottles are recycled.

What we like

  • Once the lifecycle of the lamp has ended, it can be recycled, allowing the materials to once again be utilized in a completely new and different manner

What we dislike

  • Not sure if the lamp will have a long lifespan

7. The Blizzfosser

Customized to each person’s interdental crevasses, the Blizzflosser is the brainchild of Chris Martin who has already made us fans with the weirdly productive toothbrush-sponge.

Why is it noteworthy?

The Blizzflosser comes with soft floss lined according to an individual’s denture. It is washable and reusable. The floss aligned on the contraption is thin to glide through into the gaps between the teeth and does not hurt the gums. Getting one of these tailored for you is simple; Blizzbrush sends a double-sided special paste tray to you that you bite into to leave about 5mm deep impressions of your upper and lower dentures. You then snap pictures of your production and send them to the company that based on the images customizes and 3D prints a complete denture flosser for you.

What we like

  • Replicates the manual flossing techniques

What we dislike

  • People accustomed to flossing, may not like this new technique

8. Wabo

Wabo is a collection of hand boards that are created from plastic waste produced from 3D-printed prototyping. Eight million pieces of plastic make their way into the ocean on a daily basis. That’s a lot of plastic. While some brands commit themselves to gimmicky sustainable practices that have more to do with marketing than carbon-neutral manufacturing, other brands learn how to make something out of the plastic waste they produce.

Why is it noteworthy?

The multidisciplinary design studio Uido Design is a studio known for its catalog of 3D printable product designs and its team is doing something about the waste they produce during the design process. Shredding the plastic waste produced from 3D printing into bits and pieces, Uido Design uses the waste to create hand boards for users to ride the ocean waves.

What we like

  • The hand boards are handcrafted

What we dislike

  • Not a necessary product, but still fun!

9. 3D-printed Chairs

Designed by Johannes Steinbauer Office For Design, these 3D-printed chairs are produced using additive manufacturing and are created without using fabrics, springs, and foam! And they still manage to be super functional and comfortable. These chairs utilize rigid parts, instead of the typical racks from chairs.

Why is it noteworthy?

The design is simple enough with four legs, a round seat, and a single bar at the back. But if you want to add other components like more racks or even textiles, these can also be added through 3D printing. The different parts are easy to assemble and disassemble and once it reaches the end of life, you can dispose of the different parts separately and recycle them accordingly.

What we like

  • Super easy to assemble and disassemble
  • Sustainable design

What we dislike

  • No instruction on having a space-saving version of this design

10. Cullan’s 3D-printed Shoes

Designed in the metaverse by Cullan Kerner, the shoes embody an aesthetic that’s best described as ‘oddly refreshing’ and the reason is because it doesn’t stick to the constraints of regular shoe design intended for mass production. The process with shoe design is standardized to a great degree – you’ve got pre-set sizes, materials that are readily available, dies for cutting/molding these materials, and processes like stitching or gluing that bring them together

Why is it noteworthy?

Cullan’s design process, however, is completely different. For starters, the shoes were made entirely in Gravity Sketch, a free VR software that allows you to design directly in a 3D space. Cullan designed the shoes almost like a sculptor makes an art piece, creating in 3D space. The shoes are made for 3D printing – a process that still hasn’t been mass-accepted by the shoe industry. The idea is simple – Cullan’s model gets imported into a 3D printing software, and the printer meticulously builds the design layer by layer using a single flexible elastomeric material.

What we like

  • Each shoe can be designed to fit you perfectly, and they’re all made to order
  • Available as NFTs

What we dislike

  • Without an actual shoe model, we can’t say how the feet support will be and the durability of the shoe once in use

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3D-printed concrete chair uses generative design for strength and a distinct hollow aesthetic

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If the CHAIR N°ONE looks like a 3D wireframe come to life, it’s absolutely intentional. Designed by Martin Oberhauser of Studio Oberhauser, the CHAIR N°ONE is the first series of design chairs 3D printed in concrete by selective cement activation. The process involves selectively binding pieces of cement similar to the kind seen in resin 3D printing. The result is a spectacular chair that’s entirely hollow yet structurally sound. Made sustainably using recycled glass as a base material along with concrete, the CHAIR N°ONE has an appeal so unique, it transforms concrete from being a utilitarian material to one with immense sculptural and aesthetic potential.

Designer: Studio Oberhauser

The hollow, almost organic design of the CHAIR N°ONE can be attributed to its use of parametric design to achieve a form that’s equal parts durable and lightweight. Inspired by “intricate bionic structures”, the chair has an almost coral-like beauty to it, featuring a perforated exterior and a hollow interior. The chair’s form, however, remains blob-like and contours wonderfully to the human body. You’ve got a comfortable backrest as well as two armrests, almost like a hard, rigid beanbag.

The way selective cement activation works is very similar to other forms of 3D printing. Fine layers of a dry cement-sand mixture are solidified locally by applying water. This way, layer by layer, complex 3D objects can be created with a high degree of geometric freedom. The CHAIR N°ONE also uses crushed, recycled glass as a base material, providing an element of sustainability to the chair’s overall design. “The cement printing compounds can be chosen based on indoor or outdoor use of the CHAIR N°ONE, making the chair a universally usable piece of artistic design furniture”, says Martin Oberhauser.

The CHAIR N°ONE is a winner of the Red Dot Best Of Best Award for the year 2022.

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Top 10 3D printed designs to provide sustainability advocates a boost of inspiration

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At Yanko Design, we believe in constantly innovating, creating, and evolving. It’s a philosophy that serves as a lifeline for us, and one of the results of this lifeline is the YD x KeyShot Inspiration Hub! The Inspiration Hub is our ‘ever-expanding encyclopedia’ of design work for you to participate in, to inspire designers, and to get inspired by. Created in collaboration with KeyShot, the Inspiration Hub is your one-stop space for inspiration where designers like you can submit your impressive designs and be awarded to stand out in the crowd and to inspire other like-minded designers.

To kickstart your journey and send some motivation your way, we’ve curated some of our favorite 3D-printed from the Inspiration Hub. These unique and uber-cool 3D-printed designs will motivate you to create something spectacular and submit the design, as a gateway to sharing it with the best of the design world. Additionally, we will also be picking our favorite Design of the Week, Design of the Month, and Design of the Year – every week, month, and year from the submissions on the Inspiration Hub. Keep an eye on our Instagram page and the Inspiration Hub to see if your design gets picked. Fingers crossed!

Click here to Download KeyShot Pro (Use Code ‘KSYANKOHUB’ during installation for full Pro + KeyShotWeb trial) to take your sketch from concept to render!

1. Karen Ultralight

Visualized by Anima Design for Katahashi Instruments, the Karen Ultralight is a dynamic and uber-cool-looking electric violin that features a relatively hollow body and dumps the traditional wooden acoustic chambers. It features a 3D-printed generative frame that sits on a carbon fiber body, with a birchwood fingerboard for an even better but still familiar violin-playing experience.

2. The Throne

Designed by Spanish design studio Nagami and To: this 3D-printed toilet is called The Throne and is made up of three parts – a teardrop-shaped body, a double-curved sliding door, and a bucket for solid waste. The various parts of the toilet were printed within three days – pretty quickly! This includes the base and multiple other smaller accessories that were either injection molded or ordered. It also includes an off-the-shelf separation toilet seat to separate urine from solids for composting.

3. The Cryptide Sneaker

The Cryptide 3D Sneaker Sintratec 2

Designed by Stephan Henrich for Sintratec, the Cryptide Sneaker is a pair of full 3D shoes that are laser sintered with a flexible TPE material. The shoes were printed using a Sintratec S2 System 3D printer. The Cryptide features a sole with an open design. The designer said it was made possible by SLS production (Selective Laser Sintering) and a material called Sintratec TPE elastomer.

4. The Polyformer

The Polyformer is made from recycled plastic PET bottles and features an interesting translucent white appearance. Designed by Reiten Cheng, the 3D-printed machine slices up PET bottles, and melts them, turning them into filaments only 1.75 mm in diameter. These recycled plastic threads can then be used in normal 3D printers to create more things, probably with the same distinctive translucent appearance as the Polyformer.

5. bFRIENDS

Pearson Lloyd teamed up with 3D-manufacturing studio Batch.Works to create pen pots, trays, and a mobile-phone stand made from discarded food packaging. They created this collection for the office brand Bene, and it is called bFRIENDS. The products were 3D-printed using recycled polylactic acid (PLA) sourced from food packaging by Batch.Works.

6. 3D Printed Chairs

Johannes Steinbauer Office For Design created these 3D-printed seats that can be built without fabrics, springs, and foam, and they still manage to be comfortable and functional. The chairs use rigid prints instead of the usual racks from chairs. The different parts are easy to assemble and disassemble and once it reaches the end of life, you can dispose of the different parts separately and recycle them accordingly. Yes, the chairs are easy to assemble and sustainable – the best of both worlds!

7. 88M Pegasus

Jozeph Forakis and his strategic design agency conceived the world’s first 3D-printed superyacht. It has been equipped with a multitude of sustainability features, and “Tree of Live” as its centerpiece. Called the 88M Pegasus, this is the superyacht of the future. With a layout that renders it completely invisible floating on water, it operates completely emissions-free – making this yacht a pretty drool-worthy one!

8. Cozy Cleo Lamp

Based in Germany, the design studio EveryOtherDay designed this 3D-printed table lamp. It was created using recycled plastic bottles and cardboard. This sustainable product is a fine specimen of circular design and wholly embodies minimalistic design principles. This process involves recycled cardboard being pressed and molded into shape without the use of any kind of additives. It is shredded into pieces by adding water and then pressed into shape by applying 5 tons of pressure using a hydraulic press.

9. The Kelp Mini Clutch

Designed by Julie Koerner, the Kelp Mini Clutch features interesting organic patterns that are based on 3D scans of natural topologies from kelp collected from the Malibu coastline in California. The unique and innovative design not only gives the clutch a rather natural charm but also makes it easier to use. The voids created by the patterns not only let you have a slight view of what’s inside the bag but also make it more lightweight.

10. The Vine Collection

The Vine collection features a variety of interesting  3D-printed products – including a vase-like vessel, basket, bowl, and dish tray that look as if a bunch of wooden rods were twisted and played around with to create pleasing shapes and curves. Designed by fuseproject, the products are quite sustainable and recyclable since no adhesives and extra connecting parts were used to create them. The twisting shapes serve as metaphors for the organic nature of trees that eventually end up as source materials for these products.

Click here to Download KeyShot Pro (Use Code ‘KSYANKOHUB’ during installation for a full Pro + KeyShotWeb trial) to start creating your own design and submit the design to us to get featured on the Inspiration Hub and the Yanko Design Instagram Page.

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Whimsical 3D-printed watering can creates an illusion of a spiral waterslide

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Designed to make the watering can look a little less mundane, the Coil is a rather eye-catching little number that uses an optical illusion of sorts to create a product that’s fun and whimsical to the eye and touch. “Coil is a contemporary take on an age-old tool: the watering can,” say Robert Shudra and Markus Melcher, the designers at Plural. “While many people own watering cans – and several elegant designs exist – the structure remains unimaginative, generally consisting of a container, open at the top with a spout and handle.”

Designer: Plural Creative

The Coil’s engaging design features a single-piece body where the spout wraps itself dramatically into a cylinder, before branching out to become a handle. Fill the water into the empty vessel and its coiled body fills up with water too, which empties out of the spout when you tip the can over.

The only way to realize this product is through resin 3D printing. The 3D-printed product has a wonderful smokey translucent texture along with a meticulous finish that can only be achieved through this manufacturing process. The interiors are absolutely hollow, without any support structures, creating a product that truly looks magical, and feels absolutely enchanting to use while watering plants, or potentially even using with a pour-over coffee maker.

Coil dynamically fills through a spiral waterslide, resembling an unexpected pairing of delicate chemistry equipment and ‘crazy straws’ from our youth.

A closer look at the resin 3D-printed design reveals the hollow coiled body and an integrated, but sealed-off handle that doesn’t gather water.

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This 3D-printed pavilion is inspired by indigenous shelters & can withstand extreme climates

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International architecture studio Hassell teamed up with creative collective to.org and 3D printing studio Nagami to create an astounding prototype for a 3D-printed public pavilion. What makes the pavilion super interesting, is the fact that it’s built using recycled plastic. “The design is the beginning of a larger plan to create a series of pavilions that encourage conversations around material waste and how technology can solve our planet’s most urgent problems,” said Hassell.

Designer: Hassell x Nagami

The 3D-printed pavilion is inspired by indigenous shelters, and functions as a gathering or meeting point for education, reflection, and knowledge. The pavilion can be customized and modified to adjust to a whole range of different climates and settings. The idea for the pavilion was created by Hassell’s Head of Design, Xavier De Kestelier, Manuel Jimenez Garcia, founder of Nagami, an additive manufacturing specialist, and Nachson Mimran, Co-founder & Creative Executive Officer of to.org. They wanted to combat the issue of plastic and create a new way of viewing plastic as a construction material.

Manuel Jimenez Garcia said, “We have more than 5 billion metric tons of plastic waste on our planet. As 3D printing scales up into architecture and construction, we can massively increase the demand for recycled plastics and speed up the cleaning process of our oceans and landfills. We hope this project will contribute to inspiring a new generation of architects to truly believe that a radical change in construction, driven by eco-innovation, is truly possible.”

They utilized computational techniques and 3D printing for fabrication. This ensured that the public pavilion can be customized and modified without incurring any extra cost and allowing it to withstand the local climatic conditions. “The Pavilion pushes the boundaries of 3D printing to create full-scale functional architecture. 3D printing allows higher geometrical freedom compared to most traditional methods of manufacturing. Setting a precedent for the future of design, this architectural freedom allowed the designers to shape the pavilions so that they operate with minimal energy and off the grid,” said the architecture studio.

The 3D-printed pavilion can be easily and efficiently transported and assembled on-site as it comes in 24 individual pieces. Inspired by indigenous shelters, the pavilion is designed to sustainably and efficiently handle harsh temperatures. In case of cold climates, the pavilion will feature an outer skin equipped with fins that are meant to capture snow and provide natural insulation. Whereas in hotter climates, those same fins will provide natural cooling, passive cooling, water harvesting, and cross ventilation.

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A viable solution to footwear industry’s waste is this pair of recyclable modular shoe you’ll never get tired of

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Do you want to wear a different colored shoe tomorrow? You’ll either pull it out of your shoe rack or head to the nearest store to pick up a new pair. A few months later, you have two shoe pairs lined up for the landfill or an incinerator. For us that’s only like a loss of favorite shoes. For someone environmentally conscious, it is a deliberate attempt to add to the unrecyclable heap of waste on the planet.

Most of the shoes we wear are made from a mixture of materials that are difficult to break down and thus recycled. Eventually, what we dispose of meets a single unproductive and perilous fate: the landfill! Of course, designers have realized the footwear industry needs alternatives and have been experimenting with 3D printing reusable and eco-friendly materials. Case in point, this pair of recyclable modular shoes.

Designer: Nao Zaidman ­

The solution proposed by Zaidman comprises two modules, which can attach together – most effortlessly – to create an environmentally friendly silhouette. Made in two parts: the knitted upper and a TPU outsole, the shoe boasts a modular design permitting the wearer to play around with different pairings for a varied look.

This the wearer can do with least burden on their shoulder: the modular recyclable knitted shoes are completely recyclable at the end of life. The extra imperative feat is possible because of the 3D printed TPU flexible filament outsole (crafted in a single unit without any adhesives) and a completely elastic yarn mesh upper.

The two-part design becomes one unified pair when the elastic cords (knitted from the same yarn used for the upper) overlaid on the breathable upper are attached to the hooks in the flexible base. “The components are very easy to attach, wear, and take off,” and even allow the wearer the option of replacing a worn-out upper or sole, or retrofitting a different colored upper with an old sole, or a new base with an old upper. So, it’s one shoe pair for a lifetime with zero footprint at the end of life.

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Gorgeous 3D-printed Nintendo Switch dock makes your gaming console rest on Japanese zen clouds

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With a two-part design that snaps together right around your existing Switch dock, this rather whimsical 3D print from Holoprops elevates your gaming console in an aesthetic sense! Designed to make it look like your Switch is nestled amongst Japanese clouds, Holoprops’ dock really turns your piece of tech into beautiful sculptural home decor. Moreover, the model is also carefully designed to make sure it doesn’t obstruct the airflow of the Switch while it’s docked or the cables at the back.

Designer: Holoprops

The Japanese Cloud Dock takes inspiration from the ‘Kumo’, or the Japanese cloud motifs often found in arts, prints, and even in traditional clothing (the Kumo patterns can be popularly found in kimono designs). The dock comes in two parts and can be printed without any support structures. Once printed, the two parts simply snap into place, creating a single sculptural unit that can fit both the Switch Classic and Switch OLED variants.

The Japanese Cloud Dock does give the Nintendo Switch a unique aura, taking it from gaming device to home decor in a way that really adds a certain element of fantasy to your home. You could place it on your coffee table, TV console, or anywhere you would keep your Switch dock, and its blank canvas is also perfect for a nice custom paint job!

While the dock isn’t readily available for purchase, the 3D STL file can be bought on Cults3D for a small sum of $3.37 (with instructions on how to print it effectively too). You can then print your file in any color, using single or multi-color filaments, or even making it translucent for a more dreamy effect. If you want to kick things up a notch, try adding a few LEDs underneath to really make your console shine! Once purchased, the 3D file is yours to keep, and you can print as many units as you want. Holoprops even will allow you to sell your prints (all you need to do is contribute to their Patreon page).

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This 3D printed sculptural concrete bench is designed to enhance the Southampton Skate Park

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Rich Holland has designed multiple skateparks around the world, and he’s now busy working on an inclusive new park in Southampton. The new park is meant to elevate and revamp Southampton’s skating scene, and Holland has rejuvenated the space with a series of super interesting furniture objects!

Designer: Rich Holland

Holland has been known for his skateboard-centric designs and landscapes since 2000, and one of his recent works involved strategizing and designing the Nike skate landscape in the brand’s Netherlands headquarters.  And, his collaboration with Skate Southampton involves renovating and transforming the pre-existing space at Guildhall Square, and creating a skating area that is much more open, spacious, engaging, and visually and aesthetically pleasing! And Holland recently unveiled one of the pieces – the PSFF Bench. The PSFF Bench is a prototype and is a furniture piece with a sculptural appeal to it.

It is 3D printed using concrete! Besides adding character to the square and enhancing its overall appeal, the bench aims to function as an off-the-shelf solution for providing public skateboard-focused furniture to places all over the world. 3D Printing is truly gaining more momentum and popularity than ever. Designers and architects all over the world are now adopting 3D Printing for the creation of almost all types of products and structures. It’s a technique that is being widely utilized in product design, owing to its simple and innovative nature, so it’s no surprise that it’s being introduced to the world of sports as well.

With this project Holland hopes to bring iconic sweeping skate landscapes, and minimal concrete design to the skating world of Southampton. It includes a collection of 3D-printed furniture pieces that are wholly focused on skating. The objects are created using concrete, and no other material. The 3D-printing process used to produce the pieces was brought to life in collaboration with the Eindhoven University of Technology and contractor BAM Infra. The process is supremely optimized and produces premium-quality construction products. The furniture is quite sports-centric and has a rather minimalistic and unassuming appeal to it, allowing the material, the form, and the sturdiness to speak through.

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Top 10 3D-printed designs that every sustainability lover needs to incorporate in their life

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3D printing has well cemented its place in the design industry as a technique that is innovative, efficient, and economical. And it’s definitely making waves in all the areas of the design world – whether it be furniture, accessories, or even footwear! It’s a technique that is being widely utilized in product design, owing to its simple and innovative nature. And not to mention it is sustainable, flexible, and economical. But designers aren’t employing 3D printing only to create basic models, they’re utilizing this technique in mind-blowing ways as well. And, we’ve curated a collection of 3D-printed designs that truly explore the potential and versatility of this amazing technique. From an electric violin with a 3D-printed body to 3D-printed chairs that bring an element of sustainability + flexibility to your living room – the scope of this reliable technique is unlimited. Dive into this collection of humble yet innovative 3D-printed designs.

1. 3D-printed Seats

Designed by Johannes Steinbauer Office For Design, these 3D-printed chairs are produced using additive manufacturing and are created without using fabrics, springs, and foam! And they still manage to be super functional and comfortable. These chairs utilize rigid parts, instead of the typical racks from chairs.

Why is it noteworthy?

The design is simple enough with four legs, a round seat, and a single bar at the back. But if you want to add other components like more racks or even textiles, these can also be added through 3D printing. The different parts are easy to assemble and disassemble and once it reaches the end of life, you can dispose of the different parts separately and recycle them accordingly.

What we like

  • Super easy to assemble and disassemble
  • Sustainable design

What we dislike

  • No instruction on having a space saving version of this design

2. The Cozy Cleo Table Lamp

Based in Germany, the design studio EveryOtherDay designed a 3D-printed lamp called the Cozy Cleo table lamp. The table lamp was made using recycled plastic bottles and cardboard. This sustainable product perfectly exemplifies circular design, minimalistic design principles, and simple functionality.

Why is it noteworthy?

The Cleo table lamp is a holistically sustainable product defined by minimal aesthetics, clean lines, an intriguing geometric shape, and a captivating visual language.

What we like

  • Built using 3D-printed materials
  • Innovative attempt to tackle the excessive wastage of cardboard

What we dislike

  • No complaints!

3. Karen Ultralight Electric Violin

The Karen Ultralight Electric Violin isn’t the most interesting name for a musical instrument, but it’s definitely one that will grab your attention! Designed by Anima Design for Katahashi Instruments, the Karen Ultralight is a dynamic and innovative electric violin that features a rather eye-catching and unique form.

Why is it noteworthy?

The violin comes with a relatively hollow body made through generative design, which still provides strength with minimal use of material. The 3D-printed generative frame sits on a carbon fiber body, with a birchwood fingerboard for an elevated yet familiar playing experience. Working just like an electric guitar, the Karen Ultralight has a 1/4-inch jack output, but even sports an internal 9V battery and a headphone jack so you can ‘silently’ play music directly into your headphones without disturbing the neighbors!

What we like

  • Uses a popular design technique called generative design
  • A slot on the back lets you put in a 9V battery and plug your own headphones into the Karen, giving you the ability to play silently, right into your ear

What we dislike

  • Old-school music lovers may prefer the traditional guitar design

4. Create

Designed by Naya, Create is the keyboard that will ensure you don’t need additional peripherals on your desk! It is a highly customizable product designed to perfectly cater to every person’s individual self-expression. It eliminates the issue of a cluttered desk, which can often occur when you constantly need to switch between different peripherals.

Why is it noteworthy?

The split keyboard with the customizable form factor and various configurable modules onboard can seamlessly fit into any workflow. Thus, it intends to become a go-to option for casual keyboard enthusiasts and serious creative professionals.

What we like

  • The keyboard is split and customizable
  • The creator in you can leverage the convenience of 9 degrees of freedom with the 3D navigator

What we dislike

  • Some users may find Create more complex to operate than a conventional keyboard
  • Seems like a space-consuming design for your desk

5. The ADD-APT Pen

The ADD-APT pen looks nothing like the usual pens. Designed with a replaceable refill design that’ll let you hold on to it for ages, the ADD-APT is elegant, eye-catching, and innovative. And not to mention it’s also 3D-printed, which reduces the waste produced during the pen’s production process!

Why is it noteworthy?

The ADD-APT name comes from its unique design, which adapts to every user’s style. The pen’s artistic form factor has a unique teardrop-shaped cross-section that be ergonomically gripped by both left-handed and right-handed users (it even allows neutral and inverted-neutral holding styles), and the notched grip provides the right kind of texture needed to provide the reliable amount of friction without requiring a separate rubber/silicone sleeve for a grip.

What we like

  • Sustainable and waste-reducing design
  • Infinitely reusable nature

What we dislike

  • No complaints!

6. Tiny Furniture

Nicolas Gold trained with Zaha Hadid, before building ‘Sheyn’ with his partner Markus Schaffer. And the brand Sheyn focuses on creating “Tiny Furniture”. Tiny Furniture is homeware designed by architects! The homeware has been infused with an architect’s tendency to fuss and mull over “the tiniest details of furniture and fixtures”.

Why is it noteworthy?

The Tiny Architecture collection comes in a variety of fourteen different colors, with each variant made using a partly recycled material, that adds an element of uniqueness and individuality to them.

What we like

  • Created using a light and sturdy recyclable bioplastic made from corn
  • Nuanced yet loud designs

What we dislike

  • Caters to quite a niche audience

7. Hula

“Inspired by the ways in which lighting affects well-being, Felix Pottinger created Hula as an answer to the shrinking spaces inevitable to city living. The light that flows up through the top of the diffuser, creates an illusion of higher ceilings while the light that comes through the bottom brings a warm glow on any surface,” said Gantri, the maker of this intriguing lamp.

Why is it noteworthy?

The name Hula comes from the ring-shaped lampshade that rests around the lamp’s body, like a hula hoop around a person’s waist. The lamp’s design comes from the mind of German designer Felix Pöttinger, who’s developed his own unique style of combining form with emotion.

What we like

  • Comes in three interesting variants
  • Add their own distinct subtle flavor to any interior or tabletop surface

What we dislike

  • The form of the lamp is rather plain and simple

8. Weaver+

We|aver+ or Weaver+, for example, 3D prints something that is akin to knitted fabric, except it uses elastic TPU as the material. The shoes that it prints out actually look more like chainmail rather than conventional fabric, and it’s not without reason.

Why is it noteworthy?

The hollow-loose knitting structure gives the shoes the flexibility necessary for supporting the growing feet of children. At the same time, however, the shoe also offers stable support to make sure the heels don’t lose their suppleness in the long run.

What we like

  • Designed to feel great but also look distinctive
  • The design allows the shoes to stretch in one direction while also providing stability in the perpendicular direction

What we dislike

  • No complaints!

9. The Blizzfosser

Customized to each person’s interdental crevasses, the Blizzflosser is the brainchild of Chris Martin who has already made us fans with the weirdly productive toothbrush-sponge.

Why is it noteworthy?

The Blizzflosser comes with soft floss lined according to an individual’s denture. It is washable and reusable. The floss aligned on the contraption is thin to glide through into the gaps between the teeth and does not hurt the gums. Getting one of these tailored for you is simple; Blizzbrush sends a double-sided special paste tray to you that you bite into to leave about 5mm deep impressions of your upper and lower dentures. You then snap pictures of your production and send them to the company that based on the images customizes and 3D prints a complete denture flosser for you.

What we like

  • Replicates the manual flossing techniques

What we dislike

  • Not an easily portable or space-saving design

10. Mini Clutch Bags

These mini clutch bags are evidently inspired by organic patterns and structures, like something from underwater flora and fauna. Such designs are extremely difficult and expensive to produce using traditional methods.

Why is it noteworthy?

Ironically, it is more expensive and more wasteful if complicated designs like these are produced in small amounts. These kelp-inspired fashion accessories, however, are not only intricate but also sustainable, and they are made possible using yet another marvel of human ingenuity, the 3D printer.

What we like

  • The organic patterns are based on 3D scans of natural topologies from kelp collected from the Malibu coastline in California
  • The voids created by the patterns not only let you have a slight view of what’s inside the bag, but it also makes it more lightweight

What we dislike

  • No complaints!

The post Top 10 3D-printed designs that every sustainability lover needs to incorporate in their life first appeared on Yanko Design.

This wooden home is the world’s first 3D-printed home built entirely from bio-based materials

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The University of Maine Advanced Structures and Composites Center (ASCC) created the world’s first 3D-printed home built completely from bio-based materials such as – wood flour or fine sawdust, mixed with a binder made from corn. Called the BioHome3D, the home was specially designed to address labor supply chain issues that are raising the costs of homes and reducing the availability of affordable housing.

Designer: The University of Maine Advanced Structures and Composites Center

 

“With its innovative BioHome3D, UMaine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center is thinking creatively about how we can tackle our housing shortage, strengthen our forest products industry, and deliver people a safe place to live so they can contribute to our economy. While there is still more to be done, this development is a positive step forward,” said Governor Janet Mills of Maine.

Currently, the state of Maine is battling against a fast-growing housing crisis and labor shortages. BioHome3D was created in an effort to provide a solution to these ongoing woes. The wooden home is printed using an industrial polymer printer and is done so precisely that it creates almost zero construction waste. The technology used to build the BioHome3D ensures that the home is primarily manufactured off-site using automation, which leads to less time being needed for off-site3 building and setting up the home. This serves as an excellent solution in tackling against the issue of labor shortage and supply chain.

The home occupies 600 square meters and has been equipped with 3D-printed walls, floors, and even roofs. All the elements of the home have been built using wood fibers and bio-resins, making the home 100% recyclable, and highly insulated with 100% wood insulation. Once you enter the home, you’re quite surprised by how warm and inviting it is. Most 3D-printed homes tend to be mechanical, and functional, not that those are bad traits for a home to have. But a house that manages to be both functional, and homely, is something worth appreciating in times when everything seems to be cold and automated.

The wooden walls, ceiling, and floor are further accentuated by the earthy colors instilled throughout the home. The walls and the ceiling seem to harmoniously interlink together, creating a sloping curved form, that protects the residents and provides them with a sense of safety and security. The home features a living room, kitchen, bedroom, as well as workspace. The windows in the home are of a limited number, but the home does seem to be well-lighted.

Renewable and locally sourced wood fiber feedstock were used to print the home, with the help of advanced manufacturing techniques and materials that were developed at the university. This, in turn, reduces the dependency on a non-sustainable supply chain, and creates homes that are low-income, and more widely accessible to the general public.

The post This wooden home is the world’s first 3D-printed home built entirely from bio-based materials first appeared on Yanko Design.