We've talked at length about the future potential of 3D Printing for Architecture - from rapidly producing emergency shelters to putting structures on the moon - but The Chicago Architecture Foundation has already found a way to make 3D Printing practical for architects - today. Since 2009, the foundation has been using 3D Printing to make models of all the buildings of the city of Chicago (that's over 1,000 buildings in a 320 sq ft area). The idea is to let native Chicago-ans and tourists alike get a better sense of the city, seeing the city grid, the relationship of heights between the tall buildings, its patterns of development."
As 3D Printing technology gets more and more sophisticated, it's easy to imagine that every architect will soon have a 3D printer that could do the same - allowing him/her to instantly visualize not just his/her design-in-progress, but every surrounding building as well.
Check out some cool videos of this 3D printed Chicago, after the break...
View more videos at: http://nbcchicago.com.
Story via NBC Chicago
