Ultimaker S5: «self-service in design» or the transformation of architectural design with additive manufacturing

The importance of layout within the architectural design process has undergone significant evolution in recent years. At firms such as Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), the use of 3D printers has enhanced daily design iterations, offering a clearer understanding of how ideas translate into three-dimensional forms. The improved efficiency and reduced costs have made it more practical to rapidly test designs, while also enabling architects to seamlessly integrate digital models into tangible, real–world contexts.

KPF has an applied research department responsible for evaluating the potential value of emerging technologies for architectural practice. Jernard Kennard AIA, a key member of the team, has been closely following 3D printing trends, evaluating options that would introduce the company to new digital manufacturing technologies.

From the Petersen Auto Museum in Los Angeles, to Rosewood Bangkok and Vanderbilt New York; Ultimaker printers play an essential role as a tool to support the design process and realize the projects KPF is known for: buildings that shape cities and have an impact.

“What’s changed for us is that professional 3D printers are much more affordable than they used to be,” Kennard says. “We previously viewed 3D printing as an expensive process, and as it was presented to us earlier in our office, it was a process that did not involve direct interaction with industrial 3D printers.”

Greater accessibility of iterative design

KPF expanded its capabilities beyond industrial printing technology – which was previously available and incorporated a printing system consisting of 12 Ultimaker 3 Extended 3D printers and six Ultimaker S5 printers in the office – and began a pilot program to explore the benefits of incorporating multiple Ultimaker 3D printers across the company’s offices, spread across five major cities.

Kennard’s primary goal was to support and improve the iterative process indispensable in design and architecture.

“In the past, 3D printing couldn’t keep up with our teams’ design process,” Kennard says.

“Templates come and go, so changes need to be more accessible and in sync with our fast-paced design process. With these printers, designers can send a template directly to the printer, providing greater flexibility that responds to our design process.”

The availability and use of 3D printers has led to the discovery of multiple opportunities to produce models and has stimulated the desire to innovate and improve any prototype, throughout the design process.

The way we work has been fundamentally improved as research, conceptual design and detailing occur seamlessly, resulting in a more effective ability to communicate both internally and externally.

KPF’s new ‘design self-service’ workstations have pioneered the discovery of new design solutions and have been hailed by the company as a huge benefit for designers of all experience levels.

“Those who are fresh out of school and joining us are very familiar with this type of desktop 3D printing technology,” Kennard said.

«As a result, we are finding that many young designers learn very quickly and are able to execute their own designs with minimal training or support. And with the lower cost, the expense of printing a pattern is no longer a consideration.»

Take advantage of the latest and greatest hardware

In April 2018, when Ultimaker launched its latest printer, the Ultimaker S5, expanded build volume and materials capabilities were introduced to provide the ideal desktop printing solution for the design studio.

Additional new features such as a filament flow sensor, a high-precision leveling plate and front isolation ports are extremely beneficial to the KPF team.

Although KPF was among the first architectural design firms in the world to have access to this new platform and has among the first Ultimaker S5 production machines in their New York and London offices, we are excited to see how other architects use our 3D printers to create tangible models of their impressive projects!