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Rain Catcher 3D-Printed House Is Self-Sufficient, Makes the Most of Nature's Resources

3D printing is regarded as the future of architecture as more and more companies are starting to see the benefits of the technology and to implement it in their business. The Rain Catcher 3D printed house concept is just one of the many examples, a self-sufficient structure that knows how to harness nature’s power.
Rain Catcher 3D-printed house 8 photos
Photo: Tactus Design Workshop/Instagram
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Tactus Design Workshop, the U.K.-based company that came up with the unique construction, describes the Rain Catcher as a vision for a detached house built out of a 3D-printed shell in crude earth or mixed compounds and filled with eco-friendly materials.

For now, the Rain Catcher is just a concept design that uses a combination of both on and off-site materials and components, which allows for a considerable reduction in material wastage. For instance, the outer shell of the house would be 3D-printed on-site and local materials would be used for it, such as clay-based earth or concrete mixes with no cement.

The Rain Catcher was designed to have two fixed cores and an interior space that can be divided into up to seven rooms. It features full-height windows that can be used to create independent booths for work or study. You can either have the rooms closed or combined, depending on whether you want more privacy or larger spaces.

A rigid honeycomb-shaped roof from OSB and plywood panels is designed with the UK weather in mind, being able to collect rainwater and filter it for internal use, enough for six occupants. The roof would be insulated with mineral wool while the rest of the house would use cork and natural fiber for insulation, further contributing to a smaller carbon footprint.

With this aiming to be a self-sufficient structure, in addition to reusing the rainwater, it would also produce its own electricity using a wind turbine, while the windows would be made with fully transparent photovoltaic panels.
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About the author: Cristina Mircea
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Cristina’s always found writing more comfortable to do than speaking, which is why she chose print over broadcast media in college. When she’s not typing, she also loves riding non-motorized two-wheelers, going on hikes with her dog, and rocking her electric guitars.
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