Dive Brief:
In a move that’ll have architects rolling in their graves, Walmart has decided to embrace 3D printing by partnering with Alquist 3D, based in the quaint town of Greeley, Colorado. The duo is sprucing up a Walmart in Athens, Tennessee, because who wouldn’t want modern technology juxtaposed with ‘where’s the nearest bathroom?’ vibes?
According to a press release that you probably won’t read, Alquist managed to whip up a nearly 8,000-square-foot addition to the retailer’s online pickup and delivery space. That’s right, folks! Walmart is now home to what is allegedly the largest freestanding 3D-printed commercial concrete structure in the U.S.—and you thought your last Amazon delivery was groundbreaking.
Walmart claims that using 3D construction printing is an excellent way to align their interests with their environmental goals, which is delightful, considering that you can enjoy your new appliances while simultaneously feeling guilt-free about the carbon footprint of that plastic shopping bag you forgot to bring.
Dive Insight:
Walmart picked Alquist not just because of their experience but because, let’s face it, they needed someone who could do this “big” thing. Mike Neill, Walmart’s vice president of new construction, didn’t mince words in the release, stating that they had considered quite a few “new building methods.” Yeah, because “constructing it like it’s the 1800s” just wasn’t cutting it anymore.
“Walmart is always on the lookout to innovate,” Neill said, alluding to the fact that they haven’t upgraded those greeter robots in years. The world’s largest retailer clearly has its eyes on the future, taking a deep dive into techniques that make the world a bit fancier—or at the very least, make the concrete a little less dusty.
In a world where 3D-printed commercial properties are about as common as a decent salad at a fast-food joint, it’s heartening to know that some folks are still trying to make it work. Patti Harburg-Petrich from Buro Happold commented that the lack of adaptable building codes has made progress a Herculean task. Nevertheless, a good chunk of builders remains undeterred, perhaps aided by blind optimism—because miracles do happen.
Some builders, like our Canadian friends at WSP, are so convinced about the future of this technology that they announced they’re researching new applications for 3D-printed concrete—because clearly, all of us have been sitting at home anxiously awaiting our new 3D-printed bridges.
Markus Wernli, WSP’s vice president, stated quite confidently that this technology will revolutionize the housing sector, even though most of us are still trying to figure out how to print our grocery lists. “The technology will first sneak in through less structurally challenging components,” he said, while thumbing his nose at conventional construction methods.
