By combining soil and seeds into 3D-printable "soil inks", the University of Virginia scientists believe greenery could be built into the very fabric of architectural features rather than just layered on top.
To build these green walls, the UVA research team is combining additive manufacturing’s speed, cost efficiency and low energy demands with locally resourced, bio-based materials. The team has already had success covering these materials in greenery, leading the team to compare the prototypes to "oversized Chia Pets".
This construction material has the potential to reduce the need for more emissions-intensive building materials and replace them with a circular alternative, which the researchers say can be can be reused again and again.
"We are working with local soils and plants mixed with water," said Ehsan Baharlou, an assistant professor at UVA's School of Architecture. "The only electricity we need is to move the material...