Construction Magazine August 2017 | Page 21

The Kooky Cubby ( Australia )
3D PRINTING
The making of the Kooky Cubby : Assembling the walls

The Kooky Cubby ( Australia )

Show-goers at the most recent Melbourne International Flower and Garden show got a surprise – the revelation of a full-sized 3D printed treehouse . The Kooky Cubby , created by a team of robotics engineers , architects and designers is just one of the latest innovations in 3D printing and an excellent example of how this technology can be applied to construction . Designed and printed to answer a call for projects for a kid-friendly cubby house , the Kooky Cubby took over a year to design and
is made up of eight separate panels . The design team , which included architects , designers and robotics specialists even consulted with kids to get feedback on the design . Once complete , the cubby debuted at a flower and garden festival , raising awareness for both 3D printing in construction and the need for safe outdoor play spaces for kids . “ If it doesn ’ t need to be a thing of beauty and it just needs to be rapidly produced , then it ’ s only a matter of time before it [ 3D printing ] is seen to be viable ,” said John Hainsworth , Kooky Cubby project team member .
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