Page 7 - Special Awards Issue 2016 Green Builder Magazine
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3-D-Printed Façade More BuildersCREDIT: DUS ARCHITECTS
Demonstrates Going Net Zero CREDIT: NET-ZERO ENERGY COALITION
Possibilities
of Renewable According to a recently completed survey,
Bioplastic there are nearly 7,000 net-zero or net-
The façade of this mobile building Tzero-ready units in the U.S. and Canada.HE NET-ZERO ENERGY Coalition recently published the
erected in Amsterdam can be recycled first-ever inventory of net-zero residences in the U.S and
into new source material for 3-D printers. Canada. The NZEC found that there are currently 6,771
residential units across 3,330 buildings that produce as
GREEN BUILDER has been following the progress of much renewable energy as they consume, or could do so with slight
the 3D Print Canal House, a unique collaborative modifications. California leads the way, with 3,652 zero-energy units.
building in Amsterdam constructed in part with Oregon, Massachusetts, New York and Connecticut round out the top
elements created by a 3-D printer. That same five U.S. states or Canadian provinces.
printer has been used to create the façade of
the new Europe Building, a temporary structure erected in According to NZEC, zero-energy construction is expected to grow
Amsterdam for the six-month E.U. Presidency. Designed by more than six-fold by 2017, and the cost of building a net-zero home is
the Dutch firm DUS, the entrance façade consists of dramatic comparable to a conventional home, excepting the up-front expense
“sails,” which shelter several alcoves with benches. All of these of a purchased solar array.
features are made from bioplastic, which can be shredded and
used again. This report is the first phase of a two-part project. In phase II,
NZEC will compile detailed case studies in an online database for
The giant 3-D printer—called the KamerMaker, or “Room public access to best practices.
Builder”—is capable of printing elements up to 2.0 m x 2.0 Read the full report here: bit.ly/1SHdQEm
m x 3.5 m—about the size of a small car. According to our
source, the 3-D-printed elements used in the Europe Building Current Roster of Net-Zero Projects
are made from linseed oil, but the 3D Print Canal House team U.S. and Canada
has been experimenting with a number of source materials,
including potato starch and bamboo. Net-Zero Leaders. Sacramento, Calif., boasts 925 zero-energy units,
followed by Davis, Calif., (892 residences) and Portland, Ore. (318).
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Special Awards Issue 2016 GREEN BUILDER 5
