Seoul, South Korea
Designed by KH Kim of Korea National University of Arts with Hyundai Engineering & Construction, H Wave Bench is a combination of two cutting-edge technologies: 3D Printing and cast UHPC (Ultra High Performance Concrete).
For its innovative and sustainable design, H Wave Bench has recently been awarded a 2023 Green Good Design Award by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
H Wave Bench is the idealized combination of advanced technologies, UHPC(Ultra High Performance Concrete) and 3D Printing Technology.
UHPC is a new class of concrete with its exceptional properties of strength and durability.
It has a discontinuous pore structure that reduces liquid ingress, significantly enhancing durability compared to conventional and high-performance concretes.
3D printing technology is an optimal technology that can implement detailed shapes using proper materials.
The technology, which is manufactured in a way that is continuously output and laminated from the 3D printer nozzle, requires a minimum of materials and time, resulting in a reduction in manpower and cost.
In particular, in the case of using recycled plastic materials just like this project, it can serve as a future technology to secure sustainability in the construction field.
As a combination of two technologies, the wave-shaped molds with 3D printer and cast UHPC into the mold were designed.
After curing the concrete, the mold is removed and prepared for another uses.
The designers expect more than 30 times usage with one printed mold.
The shape is designed to mimic an ocean wave, which symbolizes the project’s regionality, and the colors as well.
Printing materials are made of plastic waste collected from the car prototype manufacturing process of the Hyundai Motor Group.
Project: H Wave Bench
Designers: KH Kim, Korea National University of Arts and Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd.
Manufacturer: Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd.
