3D printing is quickly changing the game in architecture, making it faster and easier to bring ideas to life. In this story, we’ll show you how MASSLAB, in Porto, Portugal, relies on Original Prusa 3D printers to quickly turn designs into detailed models. This helps them to better visualize projects and makes client presentations more effective and engaging.

“When I started 3D printing, I quickly saw the potential of this technology, and I can see it being used in every aspect of architecture,” said Jonatan Benhamu, a renowned architect and university lecturer, in our previous story about 3D printing and architecture. People at MASSLAB took it several steps further, fully integrating 3D printing into their workflow.

“Since we discovered 3D printing, we have based everything we do on it,” says Catarina Calçada Gaspar, Architect and Communication Manager at MASSLAB.

“It’s a fast way to produce our ideas. It’s effortless to transform ideas into objects that we can hold in our hands. We also use it for client presentations, and they totally love it!” says Catarina.

They first started 3D printing in 2021 and have never looked back since. You can see that there are almost no traditional paper and cardboard models—nearly everything is 3D printed. These young architects are not afraid to use the technology creatively and with exciting results!

Like a puzzle

José Girão, architect at MASSLAB, is in charge of the 3D printers and showed us how they make their models. They use 3D printing to create detailed models of developing areas, complete with existing buildings and infrastructure. However, MASSLAB’s innovative twist is making these models like puzzles. They can easily swap different model parts to instantly visualize changes in the area’s layout.

“Thanks to 3D printing, our life is easier, and planning is very simple,” says José, who showed us an example—a master plan.

That’s a modular miniaturized model of a large neighborhood – each parcel is represented by a printed part. You can remove buildings, swap them with parks, or make a bigger hill or pond like a puzzle. You start with that and then advance to solving the details.

This process helped them win their biggest tender yet – a mix of commercial and office space and a hotel in Finland!

Different thinking process

However, this did not come by itself—to make the most of 3D printing, the architects had to change their thinking process altogether—but for the better!

Now, they see new ways and possibilities—they can print parts of a house and then try different variations of floors in just a few seconds without the need to make a new model or use glue! They can also check if all the designed proportions are correct as they go along.

Adjustments can be made on the fly—removing a roof, adding a pool, or adding an extra floor for the building—allowing for dynamic and flexible design exploration.

“We can easily explain to the client how the building works in its surroundings,” says José, pointing out that clients can see the changes immediately and choose the best version.

Using different filament colors, you can highlight the building or space architects are working on. That allows them to bring out details – such as a different facade compared to neighboring buildings.

Choosing Original Prusa 3D printers

MASSLAB’s 3D printing farm consists of Original Prusa 3D printers only. And for very good reasons.

“We chose Original Prusa 3D printers because of the printing quality and price. They offer the best value for money on the market,” says José, adding: “It’s a professional machine for a hobby price!”

Their most recent addition to the farm is two dual-head Original Prusa XLs. Architects can now print bigger models in one piece thanks to their large build volume. Combining two colors is also helpful for floor differentiation and saves printing time.

Most of their machines are placed in the Original Prusa Enclosure to secure a controlled environment.

“We bought the enclosures to solve some adhesion problems while printing with advanced materials. And they worked perfectly,” explains José.

Architects at MASSLAB use software for rendering and PrusaSlicer to slice the final models. José and Catarina praise PrusaSlicer for being a very accessible tool. In a short time, they learned not only to prepare models but also a few tricks for better and faster 3D printing.

Print the buildings!

When asked about the future, José smiles and shares his vision.

“Technology is quickly advancing, but we think we’ll be able to 3D print whole buildings in the future. It’s already on the rise today. And it’s gotta be interesting to see how it will all turn out. I hope it will make our jobs easier and more straightforward,” says José.

Jakub Kmošek and Štěpán Feik