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"gewg_" writes:

from the new-way-to-do-old-tasks dept.

Quartz reports [qz.com]

Mud houses all but disappeared [anu.edu.au] from the world in the 20th century, thanks to industrialization and the advent of commercial building materials. But the homes, which have seen a small revival [independent.co.uk] in recent years, still offer many advantages: They're sturdy, naturally insulated, surprisingly durable, and sustainable. And most of all, they're extremely cheap.

That's why the Italy-based World's Advanced Saving Project [wasproject.it] (WASP) is trying to bring mud back as a popular building material--with a modern twist. At a three-day rally event in Italy's Ravenna province [in September], WASP debuted what it calls the globe's biggest 3D mud printer [weburbanist.com], which fuses new technology with ancient building techniques to produce affordable, green homes.

At 12 meters (40 feet) tall, the BigDelta printer is comprised of a lightweight, collapsible steel frame and a suspended printing nozzle. Clay is pushed and rotated through the nozzle, layer by layer. The printer uses only water, dirt, clay, and plant fibers to make earthen dwellings--and by using locally dug-up materials, avoids expensive shipping and materials costs.

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