Project / 05 · Applied Research · Parametric Design
Sphere Tub
Scaling a signature water feature into an inhabitable, 3D-printed sphere.
A simple form, but a challenge to print
A scale model was first 3D-printed at Saxion’s concrete laboratory to test the production strategy and evaluate the logistics of handling the object. The 60 cm diameter sphere revealed potential bottlenecks and deformations that could occur during printing, allowing the fabrication strategy to be refined before full-scale production.
The geometry was printed upside down, enabling the layers to maintain a consistent height while creating a flat base at the bottom.
The full-scale object proved too heavy to support the overhangs without infill support such as sand or granules. The strategy therefore switched to printing from the bottom up and using variable-height layers to recreate the opening.
From water feature to inhabitable object
The finished family shows the spherical form working across scales—from planted water features to the full-size tub—while retaining the expressive printed surface and reflective interior.
