DUS Architects has combined 3D-printed bioplastic with a tensile fabric structure to create a sculptural facade for the building where European Union meetings will take place over the next six months (+ slideshow).

The Amsterdam-based studio is currently two years into a project to build the world's first 3D-printed canal house, so decided to use its pioneering resources to create the facade for the Mobile Europe Building.

This temporary structure was built to host the presidency meetings of the EU Council during its six-month period in the Netherlands, before it moves on to Slovakia for the second half of the year.

This prompted DUS Architects to create a facade that can be recycled. Tensile fabric structures are commonly used for temporary structures, so the team decided to combine this with their recent research in biodegradable 3D-printing filament.
"We're collaborating with Henkel, a global multinational that does innovative work with materials, and we're investigating the possibilities to create new printed biodegradable printing materials," explained studio co-founder Hedwig Heinsman.

Related story: Joris Laarman's canal bridge in Amsterdam could take 3D printing "to a higher level"

"We've developed a special plastic that is entirely bio based, made out of linseed oil," she told Dezeen. "The advantage of this material is not only that it is made out of plants, but that it can be shredded and ...