One size fits none: rethinking construction with 3D printed materials
As part of our industrial PhD program, Katie Heywood has dedicated the last 3.5 years exploring the potential of 3D printing in construction. Driven by circular principles and an ambition to reduce embodied carbon, she has experimented with concrete and hybrid material systems and investigated the technology’s role in transformation projects.
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Director, Innovation and Sustainability, Partner
While 3D printed concrete (3DCP) has been her primary focus, one of Katie’s most significant discoveries is the technology’s potential to support natural, biogenic materials. Her experiments with hybrid construction, particularly the combination of 3DCP and hempcrete, highlight the kind of material innovation possible with additive manufacturing.
Katie began her PhD investigations considering whether concrete has a place in the future of architecture. Once hailed as a revolutionary material, concrete’s identity is now defined by its massive carbon footprint. As the industry looks for alternatives, 3D printed concrete offers a promising solution to significantly reduce material use and construction time. However, as Katie points out, we can’t stop there.
“We don’t want concrete to be the sole solution, but it can fit into a world of materials and methods that work together. The culture at our studio, with its focus on groundbreaking timber projects and an experimental, innovative atmosphere, inspired me to explore a hybrid strategy. This mindset led my explorations, seeking to combine the strengths of concrete, timber, and other materials to create a more balanced solution.”
Katie Heywood
Industrial PhD Fellow
Her research took a hands-on, exploratory approach, immersing herself in architecture projects that utilized 3DCP . By observing and analyzing workflows and case studies, she aimed to identify where additive manufacturing could align with or challenge traditional sustainability goals in construction.
A key component of Katie’s work involved developing ‘The Hybrid Slab’ to explore how 3DCP through Design-for-Disassembly (DfD) principles can help achieve a reduction in overall embodied carbon relative to conventional constructions. ‘The Hybrid Slab’ was conceived as its own experimental initiative, running alongside an ongoing project, allowing Katie to test and refine ideas within a live context.
Katie partnered with the University of Michigan to develop a Hempcrete façade within a 3DCP frame, exploring new ways to retrofit outdated Danish apartment buildings. Hempcrete is a naturally fire-resistant, antimicrobial, and breathable material. It serves multiple functions, acting as an insulator, vapor barrier, and fire and wind shield. This design experiment aims to create a modular façade system using 3DCP that simplifies material layering, meets structural and functional requirements, and reduces environmental impact.
“When I first started my research, I was aware of the skepticism around 3DCP and its environmental impact. While it holds great potential, it can’t be seen as a one-size-fits-all solution. We can’t completely ditch concrete—just like we can’t build a world of wood yet. Concrete still plays a key role, but the challenge is how to integrate it with other materials. Designing 3DCP elements must prioritize broader environmental strategies, not just optimizing structure or reducing volume.”
After completing her Industrial PhD at the Royal Danish Academy in June, Katie is moving to Australia to attend the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, where she will pursue a post-doc in intelligent construction robotics and continue the partnership with Henning Larsen.
Beyond her studies, Katie is looking forward to surfing down under.
For a deep dive into Katie’s Industrial PhD thesis, look here.
