A team of architects in Chicago has proposed a house made of 3D-printed plastic and carbon-fibre panels wrapped around glazed walls (+ slideshow).
The members of international firm WATG's Urban Architecture Studio took out first prize in the Freeform Home Design Challenge, which invited architects, designers, engineers and artists to propose a 3D-printed dwelling.

Their project ? titled Curve Appeal ? comprises a curvaceous, arching structure made up of panels that create an exterior skin and an interior core. These are combined to form the roof and large portions of the facade.
Competition organiser Branch Technology, a US construction company, has developed its own mix of plastic and carbon fibre that can be printed into a "self-supporting cellular matrix".
This technique will be used to create the panels, which will be welded together to produce continuous surfaces.

Related story: Chinese company 3D prints 10 buildings in a day using construction waste

"The initial design surfaces of the house will be broken down and optimised for printing the 3D cellular matrix," the team told Dezeen. "These portions will be aggregated together to form a singular cohesive structure."
Expanding spray foam and concrete will then be added to the structure, both for strength and to form a weather barrier. Finally, elements such as glazing and interior finishes will be installed.

The brief asked for a single-family home measuring between 600 and 8...