Close to $1M in funding for Swinburne industry-linked projects: 3D printing houses and conserving digital artefacts

Swinburne has been awarded close to $1M in funding for two industry-linked projects under the Australian Research Council’s (ARC) latest Linkage funding scheme rounds.

One project, funded by a Linkage Project grant, will develop a new system for 3D printing earth houses, in a bid to transform social housing in Australia.

A second project, funded through the Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities (LIEF) scheme, aims to extend the reach of the Australian Emulation Network to conserve digital artefacts for use by researchers.

Swinburne's Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research, Professor Karen Hapgood, said the Linkage funding success demonstrates the university’s commitment to exchanging knowledge, involving industry, and having experts from different disciplines work together to address research challenges.

“The two projects showcase Swinburne’s strengths in transdisciplinary collaboration and our deep research connections with industry, community and other research institutions,” Professor Hapgood said.

“Together, these future-focused projects will transform social housing and drive new knowledge using previously inaccessible content – demonstrating how our research brings people and technology together to build a better world.”

New system for 3D printing earth houses for social housing

Swinburne researchers Dr Mohamed Gomaa, Professor Jay Sanjayan, Professor Blair Kuys, Dean, School of Design and Architecture, and Professor John Evans, Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous Engagement, will collaborate with industry partner Luyten 3D to develop a new 3D construction printing approach for earth houses in Australia.

The 2024 Linkage Project aims to overcome current limitations in 3D earth printing by standardising a new, multi-feed extrusion technique, to be used on engineered earth mixtures, with on-demand fibre mixing features.

The 3D printing project will offer a substitute for conventional concrete construction – in turn addressing the critical demand for affordable and sustainable dwellings, especially in regional Australia and remote communities.

The project adds to a growing breadth of Swinburne projects revolutionising the world of building construction – such as Swinburne’s new Indigenous Building Co-Fab initiative, which tackles housing affordability and sustainability by creating innovative pathways to upskilling Indigenous communities themselves.

The 3D earth printing project draws on cross-disciplinary expertise, with researchers spanning Swinburne’s School of Design and Architecture, School of Engineering, Centre for Sustainable Infrastructure and Digital Construction, and Moondani Toombadool Centre.

The Swinburne research team was awarded $436,000 for the project. A contribution of $150,000 from industry partner Luyten 3D, a leading provider of advanced 3D construction printing technology, will provide additional support to the project.

Conserving digital artefacts to drive new media arts, design and architecture knowledge

Swinburne’s Professor Melanie Swalwell will lead a project to conserve digital artefacts and make them accessible for research use, harnessing the Australian Emulation Network.

The Australian Emulation Network aims to provide access to culturally significant born-digital artefacts held in the archives and collections of Australian universities, research institutions and organisations in the Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums (GLAM) sector.

The project will extend the Network’s reach, targeting high value collections from university archives and the GLAM sector to offer emulated access to researchers. Emulation uses current technology to recreate digital artefacts’ original hardware and software environments, combating obsolescence to ensure digital artefacts remain available to researchers.

The project expects to generate new knowledge across media arts, design and architecture. It also seeks to build skills in preserving and emulating digital cultural artefacts – including software preservation and sharing legacy computer environments – across a broadening network.

Professor Melanie Swalwell was awarded $544,947 for the project.