{Issue 8} I 3D Printed a Door Pull
3D printing has been a buzzword in architecture for years, but in my decade of experience, I’d never found a practical application for it. It always felt like a gimmick—it reminded me of “livable shipping containers”: a great concept in theory, but impractical in execution.
Recently, however – I was working with a client who wanted some pretty high-end custom details for his Master Bath. He is an engineer, and has a keen eye for detail and a passion for architecture.
Our final design included oversized, stunning, oak pocket doors, and standard off-the-shelf hardware would distract from the drama and elegance of the space. We couldn’t find anything off the shelf that felt right, so we explored going custom.
The thing with custom is –oof— there’s always a risk involved. The artistic, creative side of me is gung-ho!, but the highly cautious meticulous scaredy-cat side of me can only see a thousand little opportunities for mistakes and missed expectations. It’s not for the frugal or risk-averse.
Big brands like Emtek or Kohler have entire teams devoted to testing and refining their products. In contrast, I had drawing software, a vision, and a local metal fabricator. The stakes felt high, and I wasn’t sure we were ready for what lay ahead.
That’s when my client suggested 3D printing; turns out, he had a MakerBot in his office and he wanted to use it. This would allow us to quickly prototype the hardware on a 1:1 scale and answer important questions like: Will our fingers fit? Does it maneuver well? Does it look good?
Ultimately, we did create the door hardware of our dreams. However, when we priced out the finalized design, the cost to execute was just too high. In the end, we found a stunning alternative from Sugatsune that aligned beautifully with our design.
Despite not moving forward with the custom piece, the experience was worthwhile, and it gave me a newfound appreciation for the potential of 3D printing. And stay on the lookout ya’ll…maybe Restoration Hardware will pick up our design and mass produce it one day. It really was beautiful.
As for shipping containers? Steer clear.
Your Architect,
Lina
