The Additive Manufacturing Integrated Energy (AMIE) demonstration project is a 3D-printed building designed to produce and store renewable power and to share energy wirelessly with a 3D-printed vehicle. AMIE is an outcome of the UT-ORNL Governor?s Chair for Energy + Urbanism collaboration, a five-year research exploration in science and design led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) and the University of Tennessee College of Architecture and Design. Through the integration of scientific knowledge and high-performance architectural design, the AMIE building explores the potential for a 3D-printed panel system to condense the many functions of a conventional wall system into an integrated shell ? structure, insulation, air and moisture barriers, and exterior cladding.
This could lead to zero-waste construction, reduced material consumption and buildings that can be ground up and reprinted in different forms. The SOM team has shown how 3D printing can allow for complex, organic geometries that are optimized to reduce localized stress and mitigate turbulent exterior air flow. The 38 × 12 × 13-foot structure constructed of printed C-shape forms is post-tensioned with steel rods that reinforce the weak axis of the printed material. The additive-manufacturing enclosure was designed to resist lateral and live loads consistent with building codes.
The 3D-printed structure?s high level of insulated solid surfaces (79%) to glazed areas (21%) results in an efficient energy-conserving enclosure. Flexible photovoltaic panels are integrated into the roof form and supplement the vehicle energy source. Its photovoltaics (PV) will work in concert with a natural gas powered generator located in the DOE-created vehicle, to supply energy and charge the enclosure?s battery when the fixtures are not in use. AMIE demonstrates the use of bi-directional wireless energy technology and high-performance materials to achieve independence from the power grid at peak-demand times.