CIES Churchill fellow off on tour
One hundred and twelve inspired Australians are travelling throughout the world during 2019 as recipients of the 2018 prestigious Churchill Fellowship, offering them the opportunity to investigate inspiring practices in other countries that will benefit Australian communities.
Amongst the investigative travellers this year is CIES lecturer and researcher, Dr Ali Kashani, an expert in sustainable construction design and materials.
Dr Kashani was awarded the AV Jennings / Churchill Fellowship to explore the new technology for rapid construction of resilient and low-cost houses by 3D printing – and will visit 15 institutions and organisations involved in the field in six countries - Denmark, Netherland, France, Switzerland, Italy and Singapore.
“The Churchill Fellowship recognises new ideas,” said CEO of the Churchill Trust, Mr Adam Davey. “It is a celebration of expertise, innovation, expanding knowledge and creating new and better ways of addressing issues that matter in Australia right now.”
Dr Kashani's aim for his travels is to gather insights and knowledge about the revolutionary construction method: '3D Printing of Houses'. The practical knowledge for 3D printing of houses is currently limited in Australia. Dr Kashani will investigate current challenges and trends with regards to both manufacturing and building standards.
Kashani notes that the 3D project has the potential to aid with more sustainable, faster and safer construction of affordable houses and to provide housing solutions to disadvantaged Australian communities and homeless people.
“These technologies” he says, “could also be used to provide quick accommodation for affected communities after natural disasters such as floods and bushfires. There is also potential for increased creativity and customisation, with young people able to build their own DIY first home with considerably lower construction costs and minimum skills required.”
“3D printing technologies can also enable architects to push the boundaries of construction design, upgrade the skills of construction workers and enable the construction industry to offer vastly different customised house designs at cheaper costs that are based on the needs of each individual customer.”
With such exciting outcomes, we can’t wait till he comes back!
For more information on 3D printing see Dr Kashani’s co-authored paper published in Elsevier’s Composites Part B: Engineering
