A student-faculty research team at U.C. Berkeley has unveiled Bloom, a freestanding structure constructed from 3D-printed blocks, made of an iron oxide–free Portland cement polymer that's lighter than typical cement. Architect magazine, a sister publication to Concrete Construction, recently profiled the project:
Connected by stainless steel hardware, each block has internal grid that, along with the project’s undulating walls, offers structural support. The project team, led by associate architecture professor Ronald Rael, AIA, with the assistance of four graduate students, says it is the largest 3D-printed cement structure built to date.
