Black Buffalo 3D—a leading provider of ICC-ES approved 3D construction printers, materials, and structural wall designs—joined an expert panel in National Harbor Maryland at DBIA’s 2023 Virtual Design and Construction Leadership Exchange (VDCLex) to discuss innovative technology, robotics, the importance of data, and benefits of automation for design build projects and the greater construction industry. The panel titled, “VDC Deep Dive: How Robotics and Automation are increasing Efficiency in Design—Build,” was moderated by Craig Scott, Senior VDC Manager at Hensel Phelps and featured Peter Cooperman, Interim CMO at BB3D, Tessa Lau, Ph. D, CEO/Founder of Dusty Robotics, and Brian Ringley, Principal Product Manager, Boston Dynamics.

Presentations were given providing brief overviews of each company’s technology, existing capabilities, and how to help quantify benefits and increase adoption in the field. The discussion largely centered on the ability of using innovative technology—robotics, data, programming, and output—to increase efficiency, and eliminate misinterpretation or poor execution of details in building plans throughout the project lifecycle. By bridging the information gap between stakeholders on Design Build projects, timelines can be reduced, and human error can be eliminated. In the case of 3D construction, the advantage of inputting digital designs and drawings with direct physical output is that the structure accurately matches plans every time. The newly verified ability of Black Buffalo 3D printers to output print structural walls brings new potential for designing feature walls and design-driven homes, commercial buildings, and industrial structures that would have been cost prohibitive when leveraging traditional methods.

Black Buffalo 3D NEXCON construction printers, proprietary materials, and methods improve the accuracy of projects from conception to completion. Design build projects are a great fit for utilizing ICC-ES AC509 compliant structural 3D building methods because the plans of a traditionally modelled home or building can be converted to G-Code and printed to exact specifications as the designer/architect intended. Black Buffalo 3D customers gain the ability to standardize or customize architectural details adding curves and unique shapes without sacrificing strength. Black Buffalo 3D solutions provide a new method to approach new builds, improve resilience, increase disaster preparedness, and foster redevelopment after natural and man-made disasters.