Press Release

20 January 2021

The challenge of TECLA, the eco-sustainable 3D printed habitat, took form.

“From the shapeless earth to the earth as house shaped”.

TECLA, 3D Printed Habitat by WASP and Mario Cucinella Architects

ⓒ WASP

WASP (Italy’s pioneering specialists in 3D printing) has completed the printing phase of the TECLA supporting
structure, the first and unique fully 3D printed construction based on natural materials and made with multiple 3D
printers operating at the same time. The innovative habitat model engineered by WASP and designed by MC A - Mario
Cucinella Architects took form, a new circular model of housing entirely created with reusable and recyclable
materials, sourced from local soil, carbon-neutral and adaptable to any climate and context.

TECLA (which takes its name from Technology and Clay) was made in Massa Lombarda (Ravenna - Italy) with Crane
WASP – WASP's brand new 3D printer in the construction sector - it represented a real challenge for 3D printing,
maximizing the performance of a material among the oldest and at the same time among the most stimulating for the
future of the green economy: the raw earth.
TECLA is in fact the peak of advanced research between matter and technology, it is the achievement of an
unparalleled challenge that has brought the printing geometry to its physical limit. The project represents an
unprecedented perspective for buildings and new settlements, in which the value of local raw materials is amplified by
digital design. The double dome solution made it possible to cover at the same time the roles of structure, roof and
external cladding, making the house high-performance on all aspects.

«From the shapeless earth to the earth as house shaped. Today we have the knowledge to build with no impact in a
simple click. - says Massimo Moretti, WASP Founder - Technology is now at the human service and the home as a
birthright is real.»

TECLA VIDEO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9sXqxccRPM&feature=youtu.be

«The completion of the structure is an important milestone and shows that, thanks to the design and technologies
used, TECLA is no longer just a theoretical idea but can be a real and achievable response to the needs of living today
and the future, that can be declined in different contexts and latitudes», underlines Mario Cucinella, Founder of Mario
Cucinella Architects and SOS - School of Sustainability.

Inspired by potter wasp, since 2012 WASP (World’s Advanced Saving Project) have been developing viable
construction processes based on the principles of circular economy and digital fabrication. On the market since 2021,
WASP produces 3D-printed houses in the shortest possible time and in the most sustainable way with the first multi-
printer Crane WASP system, the company’s flagship of the construction line and the newco WASP On Site the
company’s benchmark in architecture. Crane WASP is the world’s first modular and multilevel 3D printer designed to
collaboratively build singular and even more extensive architectural works. The system is configured according to
project needs and defines the structure of a safe and extremely efficient construction site. Each printer unit has a
printing area of 50 square meters and therefore makes it possible to build independent living modules, of any shape,
in a few days.

TECLA is the first eco-habitat built using, at the same time, multiple Crane WASP collaborative printers and it is the
demonstration that 3D technology is able to create buildings by optimizing the construction process and minimizing
the use of human and energy resources. The construction process can be replicated from time to time, thanks to the
WASP Maker Economy Starter Kit, consisting of multiple 3D printers and a complex system of picking, mixing and
pumping materials. For the first time in the world, two printing arms have been synchronized as part of a
construction, thanks to software capable of optimizing movements, avoiding collisions and ensuring simultaneous
operation. The WASP proprietary software used for TECLA is the synthesis of years of research that have led to the
computerization of shapeless matter, managing to build the imaginable. TECLA can be synthesized in: 200 hours of
printing, 7000 machine codes (G-code), 350 layers of 12 mm, 150 km of extrusion, 60 cubic meters of natural materials
for an average consumption of less than 6 kW.

The final installation of TECLA and its presentation are scheduled for Spring 2021.

-------

TECLA’s Partner

TECLA was developed using in-depth research undertaken by the SOS -School of Sustainability – a professional school
founded by Mario Cucinella that combines education, research and practice.
The collaboration between WASP and MC A has been supported by Mapei, a worldwide producer of construction
materials, which has studied the clay materials and identified the key components within the raw earth mixture to
create the final highly optimised printable product. Structural tests were carried out by Milan Ingegneria, a Milan-
based engineering consultancy, which worked on the optimisation of the shape in order to create a self-supporting
structure. The frames, customised and highly-efficient, have been engineered and produced by Capoferri, a company
specialised in architectural frames and always at the forefront of technological advances, while the landscaping has
been curated by Frassinago, a multidisciplinary company that includes a design studio that deals with landscape
architecture, and a firm specialized in the gardening and outdoor sector. RiceHouse provided technical consultancy
about bio-materials deriving from rice cultivation waste - rice husk and rice straw, which affected the thermal
performance and living comfort of the building envelope. The lighting project, developed both internally and
externally with the aim of achieving the maximum flexibility and sustainability of the intervention, has been developed
by Lucifero’s. The raw earth floor, with an elegant and at the same time totally natural style, was developed by Primat
Srl within Terracruda® brand and fits perfectly with the construction approach. The wooden solutions for the interior
furnishings and the finishing elements are all signed by Imola Legno, which supported the project in the customization
of panels and tops in natural wood. Finally, Cefla offered the best electrical solutions in terms of functionality and
aesthetics for the most comfortable use of indoor spaces. Lastly, the Studio legale Micera supported the project by
offering its legal assistance.
Contacts:
WASP - Press Office - Tiziana Teghini MC A - Press Office - Alessia Ravaldi
E: [email protected] E: [email protected]
T: +39 0545 87858 T: +39 051 6313381

WASP social media MC A social media

Facebook - @3dwasp Facebook - @MarioCucinellaArchitects
Twitter - @3dwasp Twitter - @MarioCucinella
Instagram - @3dwasp Instagram - @Mario_Cucinella_Architects
Linkedin - @WASP Linkedin - @Mario Cucinella Architects

YouTube YouTube
3D WASP Mario Cucinella Architects

#Tecla3DHouse #3Dprintedhouse #CraneWASP #3DWASP #MCArchitects

WASP Mario Cucinella Architects

Via Castelletto, 104/106 Via Flora, 6 | 40126 Bologna | Italy
48024 Massa Lombarda (RA) | Italy Via Brera, 16 | 20124 Milan | Italy
T +39 0545 87858 T +39 051 631 3381 | F +39 051 631 3316
[email protected] | www.3dwasp.com [email protected] | www.mcarchitects.it

A project by:

WASP: Engineering and 3D printing construction

Mario Cucinella Architects: Architectural design and project management

In collaborazione con:
SOS - School of Sustainability: Research partner
Mapei: Materials consultancy and supply
Milan Ingegneria: Structural consultancy
Capoferri: Frames engineering and production
RiceHouse: Bio-materials consultancy and supply
Frassinago: Landscaping
Lucifero’s: Lighting design
Ariatta: Energy and internal comfort consultancy
Imola Legno: Timber solutions consultancy and supply
Primat • Terracruda®: Earthen floor supply
Cefla: Electrical solutions supply
Studio legale Micera: Legal Assistance

Under the patronage of:

Municipality of Massa Lombarda, Ravenna - Italy

Sponsored by:
Ter Costruzioni
Notes to Editors

WASP

WASP - World's Advanced Saving Project is Italy's pioneering 3D Company founded by Massimo Moretti in 2012.
Inspired by the Potter Wasp, WASP builds houses with natural materials, at a cost tending to zero. The company has
been characterized by Delta WASP 3D printer adapted to all needs, from small to large dimensions, of which a whole
line has been dedicated to the Industrial 4.0. Its goal is to bring real benefits to people through innovation and
research.

In 2015 WASP presented the Big Delta WASP 12 meters, the largest printer in the world, with the aim of building a
monolith housing module. In 2018 WASP launched Crane WASP, an innovative technology to print on site eco-districts
at low environmental impact. Gaia has been the first 3D printed earthen house built by Crane WASP, glimpsing a new
way for sustainable housing. In December 2018 the Financial Times included WASP among the Europe’s 100 Digital
Champions.

Among WASP highlight projects are Gaia 2018, the first 3D printed earthen house; 3D printed Staircase wall in
collaboration with IAAC; Conifera-COS and Teardrops at Burning Man 2018, both designed by Arthur Mamou-Mani;
Trabeculae Pavilion in collaboration with Milan Polytechnic; the scenography for Fra Diavolo on stage at the Rome
Opera House.

Mario Cucinella Architects

MC A - Mario Cucinella Architects is an established architectural firm with offices in Bologna and New York and an
international team of 90 professionals including architects, engineers, graphic designers, model makers, and
researchers. The firm was established in Paris in 1992 and opened its offices in Bologna in 1999. MC A has extensive
experience in architectural design that combines environmental and energy efficiency strategies and relies on an R&D
department that carries out research on sustainability with a holistic approach.

MC A is synonymous with top quality and professionalism in every step of the process, adopting a coordinated and
multidisciplinary approach. An in-house team of BIM managers and coordinators ensures the implementation of BIM
processes. MC A also boasts an in-house Interior Design and Industrial Design department.

Among MC A’s highlight projects (in Italy) are: Unipol Group Headquarters Tower, the new surgery and emergency
unit for the San Raffaele Hospital, San Raffaele Hospital and Rovati Foundation Fondazione Rovati Etruscan Museum,
all in Milan; WSR-Workshop Ricostruzione Emilia in Emilia Romagna, Italy and the new headquarters of the Rectorate
of the Roma Tre University in Rome Italy; The firm has also projects in progress in Europe, China, Central Africa,
Algeria and the Middle East: ViertelZwei in Wien, Austria, two mixed-use buildings in Albania and the new
headquarters for the Algerian Regulatory Authority for Post and Telecommunications in Algiers.