Use of 3D Printing Technology in Design Education: A Study Based on Course Outcomes

Full text

167
CHAPTER IX
USE OF 3D PRINTING
TECHNOLOGY IN DESIGN
EDUCATION: A STUDY BASED ON
COURSE OUTCOMES
Işıl ÖZÇAM
(Asst. Prof. Dr.) Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University
e-mail: isilmsgsu@gmail.com
ORCID: 0000-0003-4982-6164
1. Introduction
Today, with the developments in the field of technology, thinking, design,
visualization and production processes have undergone transformation.
Augmented reality methods, virtual glasses and stereoscopic devices
allow the designed object to be shown almost as if it were real. Moreover, rapid
production of models with 3D printers eliminates the boundaries between virtual
and physical dimensions. While current technologies provide many advantages
in this sense, they also cause the emergence of a new kind of digital aesthetics
and its effectiveness on period orientations. The design concept of the past which
developed in line with the traditional physics rules of production methods has
undergone change today with the examination of the molecular structure of the
material, the study of nature, and the structuring of organic geometries instead
of solid geometries. Therefore, many new concepts and concepts such as fluid,
virtual, trans, morphogenetic, interactive, parametric, and dynamic have entered
the design literature.
3D printing, also known as rapid prototyping within the scope of additive
manufacturing methods, is a form of production in which a virtual model
produced in a computer environment turns into a physical object with a material
added in layers. Being important tools for designers to transform ideas from
a virtual environment into a tangible product, 3D printers provide several
advantages such as design freedom, minimization of time-consuming processes

168   SUSTAINABLE CURRENT APPROACHES IN ARCHITECTURAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
such as molding, assembly, and processing, material, cost and time effectiveness,
and personalization of products.
While 3D prototyping technology has been used in many fields such as
design, art, textiles, engineering, medicine, automotive, and aviation today,
it has begun to play an increasingly important role in the world of education.
There are various studies on the place of this method in design education
(Celani, 2012; Paio et al. 2012; Oxman, 2010; Greenhalgh, 2017; Jensen et al.,
2002; Despeisse & Minshall, 2017; Ford & Minshall, 2018). Research shows
that students’ experience of this technology during their education enables them
to gain dominance in the field, to see the results of design decisions, to develop
their ability to perceive, define and interpret digital concepts, and to increase
their learning curiosity (Greenhalgh, 2017; Jensen et al., 2002). However, it is
among the research results that these technologies are not yet used effectively in
the design departments of universities (Papp et al., 2016; Radharamanan, 2017;
Gür Karabulut & İnce Güney, 2021).
In this article, the use of 3D printing technology in the field of design and
education has been presented, and an evaluation has been made on the projects
made in the Computer Aided Furniture Design course in the Spring Term of the
2020-2021 Academic Year at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Department
of Interior Architecture. In the conclusion part, the gains observed and the
difficulties encountered during the process are emphasized.
2. Today’s Technologies and Design
Design and production tools have been in relation with the technologies of the
period they are in from the past to the present and have changed in parallel with
the developments. While the technical skills and tools of the master had guided
design in the Agricultural Age, steam machines started to be used and weaving
looms became mechanized in the First Industrial Revolution. The development
of railways accelerated and the production of materials such as brick, iron,
steel, and glass increased (Güney & Lerner, 2012). With the Second Industrial
Revolution, as a result of the establishment of electricity and assembly lines,
mass production started; in addition, steel, chemicals, electricity, and petroleum
were also used. With the Third Industrial Revolution, digital technologies joined
the production and these paved the way for the development of computers and
the internet. In the 1980s, with the use of computers and the implementation of
image synthesis, it became possible to change the shape or color of a product
and display this change. However, in a very short time, computers went beyond

USE OF 3D PRINTING TECHNOLOGY IN DESIGN EDUCATION: A STUDY . . .   169
visualization, which was the purpose of their use in the early days. As a result,
they have become a standard platform where design is made and production
is directed, and have expanded the use of digital technology (Beduk, 2003).
At the point reached today, there has been talk of a kind of digital revolution
called ‘Industrial Revolution IV’. With this period which is also called the
“Industrial Revolution”, “digital transformation” or “age of digitalization”, it
has been possible to make economical, flexible, fast, and efficient productions
with technologies that can interact with one another (Oxman, 2006). New job
descriptions are emerging every day; systems are rapidly being renewed; and
the ways of working, producing, and communicating are changing occasionally.
Industrial Revolution IV includes technologies such as cyber-physical, robotic
and autonomous systems, internet of things, artificial intelligence, data analysis,
cloud computing, virtual reality, simulation, cyber security, and additive
manufacturing (3D printers) (Gür Karabulut & İnce Güney, 2021, p. 1).
As technology develops at an ever-increasing pace, new environments
and tools offer the designer more independent and unique possibilities of form.
The digital environment allows designs that cannot be solved with traditional
application techniques. These forms that started with William Massie’s concrete
works in the 1990s, Greg Lynn’s waffle structures and Bernard Cache’s surface
manipulations and are observed in many designs today are solved with Cartesian
geometry, which is the expression of curvature; moreover, the control and
change of the values loaded into the equations allow the creation of new curves
by the designer or computer and the creation of 3D forms (Iwamoto, 2009, p.
6). While forms that are difficult to make with traditional methods or mold
technologies and objects with complex geometries can be easily produced with
3D printers, designers have been looking for the limits of computer-aided design
with various programs and software. The intellectual infrastructure of this search
is supported by factors such as evolution, genetics, topology, algorithms, and
self-organizing complex systems, which are the research subjects of different
disciplines (biology, mathematics, et cetera) (Özçam, 2013, p. 246). In this
sense, designers often benefit from biomimetry which is a branch of science
that examines methods and systems existing in nature, trying to solve technical
problems by taking biological functions as an example.
As a consequence of the rapidly developing technology, early 3D modeling
/ animation programs such as 3D Studio Max, Alias Wavefront and such have
started to be replaced by parametric programs such as Rhino and Grasshopper
(Agkatidis, 2011, p. 7). Thanks to these software programs, the systematic

170   SUSTAINABLE CURRENT APPROACHES IN ARCHITECTURAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
of dynamic forms and structures that provide endless design diversity can be
established in the virtual environment and the logic of order and rhythm in
the meeting of these multiple systems can be analyzed. Designers frequently
use parametric/algorithmic design methods in this process. In parametric/
algorithmic design, the product form is guided by adhering to the determined
variables. Accordingly, computer algorithm in which certain parameters are
loaded shapes the design randomly with these parameters. With these design
methods, we go beyond the standard form; furthermore, we design not the form
but the variables that regulate the form. For example, Michal Piasecki, who
worked with the designer Joris Laarman for ‘The Starlings Table’, which uses
the clustering forms of bird flocks living in nature as a model, prepared a 3D
computer simulation based on the algorithm of their movement. This software
can freeze the flying swarm virtually at any time. The images that were converted
to Stl. file were produced using a 3D printer (Figure 1).
Figure 1.The Starlings Table, Joris Laarman, 2010.
With the developing technology, ‘custom design and production’ have become
prominent concepts. The reason for this is the users who want to see forms other
than those brought by mass production and prefer products suitable for their
personal data. Personalized designs with 3D printers are used effectively in many
sectors such as medicine, jewelry, footwear, and accessories. An example of the
personalized use of 3D printing technologies is the manufacture of personalized
shoes of the Nike brand. Here, 3D printing models are created according to
the comfort preferences of the users (See Figure 2a). It is predicted that, in the
future, personal data of the user and the personalization of the products with 3D
printers will become widespread in the footwear industry (Seyhan, Bayram &
Toğay, 2021). Another example of personalization is the design studio Nervous
System, which offers its customers the opportunity to create their own jewelry
online. This design studio has developed an interface that allows its users to

USE OF 3D PRINTING TECHNOLOGY IN DESIGN EDUCATION: A STUDY . . .   171
play with forms. The models are printed and sent to the users who format their
designs through the interface provided that they purchase the products (Figure
2b). Online data libraries such as Thingiverse, Instructables, and MyMiniFactory
allow product customization with endless design variations. Rapid prototyping
and computerized design allow the user to become more and more involved
in the design process. It is thought that the designs which are chosen among
the alternatives and whose forms are given by the user, not the designer, will
increase in the future; furthermore, it is foreseen that the designer will be the
person who offers these possibilities to the user.
Figure 2a. Nike personalized shoe design.
Figure 2b. Nervous System personalized ring design.
Today, one of the effects of digital technologies on design forms is the forms that
enter human life with the drawing programs used on the computer. Today, most
designs are modeled in two- and three-dimensional programs; thus, designers are
affected by the geometries offered by the virtual environment during the form-
search process. Different line-surface representations (lattice and grid systems,
pixels) and commands (lathe, extrude, boolean) can be cited as examples of
elements that inspire the designer in this context (Özçam, 2017).
While guiding the designers in developing and producing new forms,
technological possibilities also help them to create a personal style and form
language. According to Karim Rashid, who was inspired by the geometries
used in computer programs in his designs, 3D technologies are a kind of
metaphorical prosthesis in design. The fact that there is no problem in terms of
manufacturability in design supports the language of abstract and artistic form.
Rashid, who designed an alphabet consisting of symbols, was inspired by the
computer program called Metaball, which he used fifteen years ago. He created
the term ‘Blobject’ for the forms he produced in the digital environment and
used in his designs (Link 2). Rashid created his design named ‘Cross Hanging

172   SUSTAINABLE CURRENT APPROACHES IN ARCHITECTURAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Light’, which consists of symbols in this alphabet, by the rapid prototyping
method (Figure 3).
Figure 3. Shape production in Metaballs program
and ‘Cross Hanging Light’, Karim Rashid, 2011.
As you can see, technology and design continually shape today’s world by being
intertwined in different dimensions. The successive design and application
processes of the past are now combined in the computer environment. Before
computer technologies, design had been affected by the limited possibilities
of implementation. Today, increasing technological possibilities, especially
additive manufacturing technology have brought design to an unlimited variety
of forms.
3. 3DPrintingTechnology
Although the first idea of 3D printing technology was introduced in the 1970s,
this technology started to be commercialized with the patents obtained in the
1980s. Charles Hull filed a patent application for a 3D printer using the SLA
(Stereolithography) method in 1984. The application was accepted two years
later; as a result, he founded 3D Systems Corporation. In 1986, Carl Deckard
applied to patent the first SLS technology and founded Desktop Manufacturing.
Following these developments, Scott Crump used FDM technology and in 1988
he founded the company Stratays, which is frequently mentioned today. Thus, the
3D printing system, the main components of which developed within ten years,
emerged. After this process, other 3D printing technologies were developed and
new materials and machines started to be used (Işıktaş, 2018).
As an additive manufacturing technology, 3D printing can be defined as
the transformation of a virtual model designed with computer-aided design
programs into a physical part by adding layers of material using a printer
(Yılmaz et al., 2014). For this reason, it is also called additive manufacturing.
Studies on the historical developments, current uses and reflections of additive
manufacturing technologies which were first introduced in the late 1980s have

USE OF 3D PRINTING TECHNOLOGY IN DESIGN EDUCATION: A STUDY . . .   173
increased in recent years (Kagermann et al., 2013; Joklova & Kristianova, 2018;
Gür Karabulut & İnce Güney 2021; Işıktaş , 2018; Yang, 2018).
The production process of this technology starts with the conversion of
a 3D virtual model created with modeling programs such as Rhino, SketchUp,
Tinkercad, or Maya into another type of geometry: a triangular lattice model.
At this stage, mostly the STL (Standard triangle language) file format is used
(although STL is the most common format for 3D printing applications these
days, file types such as AMF or 3MF have also emerged in recent years) (Özer,
2020, p. 607). Having been transformed into triangular lattice geometry, the
model is decomposed into layers with special software and printed layer by
layer with the help of a 3D printer (Table 1).
Table 1. 3D printing process (Çakır & Mıstıkoğlu, 2021, p. 489).
Additive manufacturing technologies are divided into two main application
phases as ‘rapid prototyping’ and ‘rapid production’. While rapid prototyping
covers the making of prototypes, models or models of additive manufacturing,
the term rapid production means the production of final parts and products (Özer,
2020, p. 607). Although 3D printing technologies vary, they all have structures
called layers that process raw materials in separate slices and there are six most
commonly used types. These are fused deposition modeling (FDM), poly jet
modeling, selective laser sintering (SLS), laminated object manufacturing
(LOM), scanning light-curing technique (SLA, stereolithography) and binder
spraying technique (Binder jet) (Çakır & Mistikoğlu, 2021, p. 490). ABS and
PLA filaments are mostly used as materials in 3D printers. In addition, nylon,
carbon and glass-reinforced filaments are also preferred depending on the type
of the product. Some alloy filaments consist of a mixture of PLA plastic and
materials such as wood, bark, bronze, copper, and carbon fiber (Kalender et al.,
2020). 3D printing filament is the thermoplastic feedstock that printers use for
layered modeling. There are many types of filaments with different properties
that require different temperatures for printing. ABS and carbon fiber filaments
are frequently used in the production of final parts due to their high strength.
Nylon and alloy filaments are preferred in desktop production and final product
printing (Seyhan et al., 2021).

174   SUSTAINABLE CURRENT APPROACHES IN ARCHITECTURAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Today, 3D printing is actively used in many sectors such as design, art,
textile, engineering, medicine, aviation, museum studies, restoration, automotive,
spare parts, and education. For example, in the furniture industry, 3D printers are
often used to manufacture specific parts rather than the entire product. Examples
of this are the printed parts of the furniture in the Rio collection (Figure 4a)
created by the cooperation of Studio Integrate and Morgan companies, and the
fasteners named ‘print to build’ by Olle Gellert (Figure 4b). Gellert developed
plastic joints with angles of 45, 90 and 120 degrees to bring them together.
These virtual models can be downloaded from the internet. In addition, there
are concept designs in which the entire furniture is printed as the final piece.
Printed with polyamide material, Patrick Jouin’s TAMU chair is inspired by
nature; moreover, it is fully collapsible and uses as little material as possible in
its production (Figure 4c).
Figure 4a.Rio Collection, 2016. Figure 4b.‘Print to Build’ modules, 2015.
Figure 4c. TAMU Chair, 2019.
With the development of technology and the decrease in costs, 3D printer
technologies have entered the business world and spread to schools and even
homes from there. With this technology, any part can easily be produced in
any quantity, anywhere, and in any industrial area. Today, the European Space
Agency and NASA are working with companies in the production of 3D printers
for lunar settlement. ESA, a partner of Foster+Partners Architecture Company,
will create infrastructures such as roads and radiation protection walls on the
lunar surface with ContourCrafting technology for NASA until the 2030s (Link
1). When evaluated from different aspects, the benefits of 3D printing technology
for design and manufacturing processes can be listed as follows:
- It provides convenience in controlling the functional, ergonomic and
aesthetic features of a product and making changes during the design phase.
- It provides design freedom and allows the creation of complex geometries.

USE OF 3D PRINTING TECHNOLOGY IN DESIGN EDUCATION: A STUDY . . .   175
- It makes it possible to produce parts that are difficult and laborious to
produce in a short time.
- It minimizes the processes that require labor and time such as molding,
joining, and processing in production.
- It saves material, cost and time.
- It allows products to be personalized.
Using the potentials of digital technologies, designers can change their projects
as they wish on virtual models and see the results of these changes directly in
the final product. Thanks to these technologies, objects that had almost been
impossible to design and manufacture before can be created. It is important to
be aware of the promise of these tools and to make room for these tools and
technologies in education for the future of the design discipline (Gür Karabulut
& İnce Güney, 2021, p. 4).
4. 3DPrintingTechnologyinDesignEducation
The active use of digital tools in many sectors necessitates the integration of these
applications into design pedagogy, and it is becoming increasingly important
for students to be aware of current opportunities. Redrawing the boundaries
between the virtual and the physical in the field of education speeds up model
making processes, making it easier for educators and students to reflect their
ideas.
3D printing and rapid prototyping technologies have recently been included
in the academic curricula of various design disciplines (Dimitrov et al., 2006;
Johnson et al., 2009; Modeen, 2005; Tennyson & Krueger, 2001; Martin et al.,
2014, Greenhalgh, 2017). The need to learn 3D software programs and tools leads
many educational institutions to add these technologies to existing course content
or to open new courses. 3D prototyping services can be provided by university
libraries (Novlan, 2015; Groenendyk & Gallant, 2013; Ford & Minshall, 2018).
As Van Epps et al. stated, ‘Libraries are interdisciplinary spaces that make
a variety of materials and services accessible to all. The fact that 3D printing
machines start to enter libraries will pave the way for these technologies to
become widespread and to be adopted by large masses’ (Van Epps et al., 2015). In
addition, workshops are preferred as practices in educational institutions in terms
of experiencing technology as they are processes with fast results. Production can
be made within the possibilities of the workshops, and design prototypes can be
produced on a small scale or in real sizes. At this point, it is seen that technology

176   SUSTAINABLE CURRENT APPROACHES IN ARCHITECTURAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
is mostly intertwined with manual production processes. If the design is printed
with a 3D printer, students can experience the processes of removing the object
from the table, cleaning its supports, post-processing such as sanding, applying
primer-paste and painting, thus giving the prototypes an end-user appearance.
Recent studies show that new technologies affect students’ design strategies
and cognitive processes. Analyzing the role of 3D printing technologies in
education, Greenhalgh (2017) examined the differences between the traditional
model method and 3D printing in his experimental study with interior
architecture students and saw that there is an orientation to curved and linear
forms in models designed for 3D printing. Jensen et al. (2002) observed that 3D
printing can easily be used by most students; for instance, when they hesitate
between traditional model making and 3D printing, most of them choose 3D
printing. In addition, students stated that this experience enriched them and their
perspectives on design. Chun (2022) examined the effects of 3D printing pen in
design education and revealed that this technology increased students’ creativity
and problem-solving abilities. Ford and Minshall (2018), after working with
industrial design students for two years, concluded that working with 3D
printing technologies triggered active, reflective, theoretical and pragmatic
thought processes. Accordingly, the greater the methodological diversity applied
in higher education, the more efficient the learning is, and the more effectively
the students can identify, absorb and apply new knowledge. For this reason, it is
important to support the courses with technologies such as different modeling
programs, machines, applications, and 3D scanning (Despeisse & Minshall,
2017). Yang (2018, p. 45) emphasized the importance of project-based active
learning in students’ adaptation to this technology. In addition, in terms of the
following current developments, it is important to have an idea about composite
materials which have effects in terms of budget and production standards,
biocompatibility, and recyclability. In order to reach theoretical and practical
information, it is necessary to provide access to open source learning materials
and to open data libraries. Regional centers to create the infrastructure of sector-
related knowledge and experience, collaborative, community-oriented learning
platforms to increase awareness and alternative education (such as STEM + art,
maker areas), industry-based projects, and laboratory-based activities also stand
out as the supporters of this system. Also important is the use of new partnerships,
cross-functional teamwork, modular programs, and new teaching methods that
encourage creativity, bringing together industry and academic institutions to
keep education and research connected with the needs of the industry. The mind

USE OF 3D PRINTING TECHNOLOGY IN DESIGN EDUCATION: A STUDY . . .   177
maps of Despeisse and Minshall (2017) showing the studies that can be done in
the education process related to additive production are shown in Table 2.
Table 2. Cognitive map that shows possible studies during the
education phase of additive manufacturing (Despeisse & Minshall, 2017).
According to Greenhalgh (2017), although the positive effects of printing
technologies on education have been emphasized by many researchers, there is
not enough research on its role in design and learning processes yet. The major
deficiency in 3D printing design education is that students and instructors do
not have much knowledge about the new technology and production processes.
Studies show that the curriculum in which 3D technologies are integrated
into the learning of university students generally covers engineering fields,
especially mechanical and industrial engineering, and that the existing courses
in design programs are insufficient in providing the necessary knowledge
and skills to use additive manufacturing technologies effectively (Papp et al.,
2016; Radharamanan, 2017). When Gür Karabulut and İnce Güney (2021)
examined the compulsory and elective course contents of universities, they
saw that the elective courses were generally theoretical; besides, technological
developments were not sufficiently reflected in the elective courses. Tepavcevic
(2017) stated that the design education pedagogy should be reconsidered;

178   SUSTAINABLE CURRENT APPROACHES IN ARCHITECTURAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Hadjri (2003) emphasized that it is necessary to restructure architectural design
courses and establish a relationship between physical and digital models.
As can be seen, there are many shortcomings regarding the adaptation
of 3D printing technology to educational programs today. At this point, it is
important to increase the studies and technological infrastructure especially
in the design departments of universities. In the following parts of the article,
the studies done in an elective course within the scope of interior architecture
undergraduate education will be examined and the observations made about the
process will be shared.
5. Studies Carried out within the Scope of the Course and 3D Printing
Experience
In the study planned within the scope of the course titled Computer Aided
Furniture Design in the 2020-2021 Academic Year at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts
University, Department of Interior Architecture, students first reached a certain
level of competence by working on the modeling program called Rhino, which
allows printing with a 3D printer. Students who had been learning about line,
surface, volume commands, materials, visualization and dimensioning since
the beginning of the semester started to experiment with forms and work on
final submission projects in the last few weeks. At the same time, the students
who were directed to do research on the relationship between design and digital
aesthetics in connection with the current technologies shared their findings
through a presentation. With this study, it is aimed to force students’ thought
processes, to make them think about digital aesthetics through today’s examples
and to approach design from this point of view. At the end of the term, the
students who made a furniture design in parallel with their research made their
virtual models suitable for printing. The preparations for printing took about
3 weeks; at this stage, the models were analyzed one by one and details such
as thicknesses, support parts, scales, and printing direction were emphasized.
Possible problems were tried to be solved. In the last week, an arrangement was
made with an external 3D prototyping company and the projects were printed.
6. Assessment of the Process Through Projects
The prominent concepts as a result of students’ research within the scope of digital
aesthetics can be listed as ‘biomimetry, complex geometries, forms associated with
commands in design programs, parametric/multi-part structures and orientation to
curved forms’. Figure 5 shows the projects printed at the end of the semester.

USE OF 3D PRINTING TECHNOLOGY IN DESIGN EDUCATION: A STUDY . . .   179
Figure 5. Examples of projects printed at the end of the term
In the first project to be mentioned within the scope of the article, the student
made a design inspired by biomimetry (Figure 6). In the design created with
the ‘Sweep 2 rail’ command, a structure that refers to the bone form is shaped
by creating a rail that runs along the chair profile. When the post-print model is
compared with the digital image, it has been observed that deformations have
occurred in some parts of the form. It can be thought that the reason for this is
the thinner sections of the model. Such problems can sometimes be experienced
in printing with FDM material. 3D printing made the students notice some size/
ratio problems that did not attract their attention in the virtual model; In addition,
the green colored textile material in the rendered image is a thin layer and can be
seen in the printed model indistinctly.
Figure 6. The first project drawn by sweep 2 rail command

180   SUSTAINABLE CURRENT APPROACHES IN ARCHITECTURAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
It is seen that the second project, which stands out with its sculptural form, is
quite problem-free in terms of print quality (Figure 7a). The mass structure which
consists of the combination of different sized spheres with the ‘Boolean union’
command did not cause any problems in printing since it is not too inclined
and void. In 3D prototyping, the right decision for printing direction and the
use of support parts are important issues. Considering the slopes on the design,
some models can be printed by positioning them sideways or upside down. In
addition, since it is not possible for the machine to interrupt the printing in the
hollow parts of the design, support parts are added during the process and they
are removed after printing. It is important not to damage the model during the
removal of the support parts. In Figure 7a, it is seen that flat printing is taken due
to the massive geometry and no support is used because it is void. Yet, the third
project, which carries the parametric design concept, consists of a multi-part
structure (Figure 7b). In the modeling process, first a form was created, and then
this form was divided into equal vertical parts with the ‘contour’ command. No
space was left between the parts. The design was printed in a vertical position
by laying it on its side surface as the filament direction is vertical when viewed
closely. Since the geometry does not have any internal space when standing
vertically, no support was used in the printing. Although it may seem multi-part,
the fact that the combined parts are a monolithic whole has eliminated the need
for additional processes such as joining-gluing after printing.
Figure 7a. The second project drawn by boolean union command
Figure 7b. The third project drawn by contour command
The fourth project, drawn by executing a profile along a certain line with the
‘Extrude along curve’ command, refers to a squeezed paste form (Figure 8).
The support pieces were used in the rear inner cavity of the model, which was

USE OF 3D PRINTING TECHNOLOGY IN DESIGN EDUCATION: A STUDY . . .   181
printed with red PLA filament; however, the surface was slightly damaged
when removing them. Since applying a post-press process such as sanding on a
structure with an indented surface will damage the form, these parts are left as
they are. Having a very intricate geometry, the model stands out as an example
of easy drawing and production with digital drawing tools in a form that is
difficult to design and model with traditional drawing tools.
Figure 8. The fourth project drawn by extrude along curve command
Although some problems were encountered in the printing process, it was
observed that the students found this experience educative in general. As a result
of individual and collective interviews at the end of the study, the difficulties
encountered during the process can be summarized as follows:
- Scale mismatch between the virtual model and its print
- Inability to predict how the printing will result in thinned sections due to
insufficient recognition of the 3D printing filament
- Roughness on the model because of insufficient surface treatments after
printing
- Surface deformations during the removal of the support parts
In addition, when the whole study process and personal comments were
evaluated, it was observed that the process contributed a lot to the students,
which can be summarized as follows:
- The tactile experience of visual information
- Development of three-dimensional thinking ability; clearer perception of
proportions, dimensions, design and production processes
- Time spent on optimization of the model since it will be produced

182   SUSTAINABLE CURRENT APPROACHES IN ARCHITECTURAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
- Analysis of subjects such as light and background during the photography
of the model
- Acceleration of adaptation to digital transformation processes
- Observing the differences, advantages and disadvantages between
traditional and current technologies, experiencing performance and
limitations.
7. Conclusion
Before computer technologies, design used to be affected by the limited
possibilities of implementation. Yet, today, developments in the field of
technology give designers the chance to realize their utopian designs. While
technologies such as codes, software, algorithms, artificial intelligence,
microelectronics, nanomaterials, robotic systems, and 3D printers offer new
opportunities to designers, the boundaries between design and production seem
to be blurred; designed objects can be produced in a short time or production
itself can turn into a design activity. Digital production technologies, with their
ever-increasing design and production capacities, mediate between thought and
product in the design process, contribute to the user’s ability to expand their
bodily-mental boundaries, increase and enrich the physical/conceptual abilities
and capacity of the designer, add new methods, forms and structural forms to
the design processes, provides a freer working environment and gives them a
chance to develop their ideas.
Every new production technology that has emerged from the past to the
present has led to the emergence of a new language of form. Today, topographic
forms, skeletal systems, natural formations and fractal geometries are used at
the starting point of many designs. Parametric/algorithmic designs, structures
that refer to biology, forms that were not possible in the past, and complex
geometries that seemed impossible to manufacture can be easily produced
with today’s production technologies. There is no standard form at the starting
point of designs anymore; every design component that can be applied in the
digital environment is included in the design setups. In addition, the computer
programs used in the representation and production stages in design bring new
aesthetic perceptions and affect the forms. The designer’s desire to use any
form s/he sees while drawing on the computer screen introduces new symbols
into the design literature. All these developments necessitate the integration
of digital tools and applications into design education and it is becoming

USE OF 3D PRINTING TECHNOLOGY IN DESIGN EDUCATION: A STUDY . . .   183
increasingly important for students to be aware of the current possibilities of
design and production.
Also known as rapid prototyping within the scope of additive
manufacturing methods, 3D printing is one of the important tools for today’s
designers to transform ideas from a virtual environment into a tangible
product. 3D printers have many advantages such as providing freedom of
design, minimizing labor and time-consuming processes such as molding,
assembly, processing, saving materials, cost and time, and allowing products
to be personalized. It is possible for students to make design models with 3D
printing, to use new and different techniques with the presentation of projects,
and to reflect ideas quickly. With this technology, students can experience
visual information tactilely, work on processes such as model optimization,
post-print surface treatments, and reach more precise information about
dimensions and proportions.
Within the scope of the article, the studies carried out in the elective
course of Computer Aided Furniture Design in the undergraduate program of
Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Department of Interior Architecture in the
2020-2021 academic year were examined and the achievements of the students
were observed in the process. In addition to modeling, the students, who were
directed to do research on the relationship between design and digital aesthetics
in connection with current technologies analyzed their designs at the end of the
semester by considering certain parameters such as thickness, support pieces,
and printing direction. With the 3D printing experience, the students were able
to perceive the proportions and dimensions of the models they designed more
clearly; work on the optimization of the model, experience the visual data
tactilely; and develop their three-dimensional thinking skills. When the designs
made at the end of the period were examined, it was observed that there was
an orientation towards organic, sculptural and multi-part forms. In addition,
some models had common problems such as section thicknesses and surface
distortions when removing support parts.
Beyond the formal curriculum outputs described in this article, 3D printing
technologies are increasingly accessible to students of all ages through online
courses, university libraries, fablabs, and maker workshops. The democratization
of education provides opportunities for self-directed learning. Accordingly,
more research is needed on how the acquisition of 3D printing skills takes
place outside the formal education system and how these technologies can be
integrated into non-formal and formal education.

184   SUSTAINABLE CURRENT APPROACHES IN ARCHITECTURAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
References
Agkathidis, A. (2011). Designing with digital tools, in computational
architecture: Digital designing tools and manufacturing techniques.
Amsterdam: BIS Publishers.
Bedük, D. (2003). Bilgi-iletişim çağı ve iç mekan tasarımı. [Sanatta yeterlik
tezi, Mimar Sinan Güzel Sanatlar Üniversitesi, Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü]
İstanbul.
Celani, G. (2012). Digital fabrication laboratories pedagogy and impacts
on architectural education. Nexus Network Journal, 14, pp. 469–482.
doi:10.1007/s00004-012-0120-x
Chun, H. (2022). A study on the design education method using 3D pen in an era
of manufacturing change. Nanotechnology for Environmental Engineering,
7, pp.461–465. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41204-021-00174-5
Çakır, M., & Mıstıkoğlu, S. (2021). 3B yazıcıların mesleki ve teknik eğitimdeki
uygulamalarının ve potansiyellerinin incelenmesi: İskenderun Meslek
Yüksekokulu örneği. Uluslararası 3B Yazıcı Teknolojileri ve Dijital
Endüstri Dergisi, 5(3), pp. 488-500.
Despeisse, M., & Minshall., T. (2017). Skills and education for additive
manufacturing: A review of emerging issues. In IFIP International
Conference on Advances in Production Management Systems (APMS)
(pp. 289-297). Hamburg, Germany.
Dimitrov, D., Schreve, K., & de Beer, N. (2006). Advances in 3 dimensional
printing: State of the art and future perspectives. Rapid Prototyping
Journal, 12(3), pp. 136-147.
Ford, S., & Minshall, T. (2018). Where and how 3D printing is used in teaching
and education. Additive Manufacturing, 25, pp.131-150. doi:10.1016/j.
addma.2018.10.028
Game, A. (2001). Creative ways of being. J. R. Morss, N. Stephenson & J. F. H.
V. Rappard (Ed.), in Theoretical issues in psychology: Proceedings of the
International Society for Theoretical Psychology 1999 Conference (3-12).
Sydney: Springer.
Greenhalgh, S. (2017). The effects of 3D printing in design thinking and design
education, Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology. 14(4), pp.752-769.
Groenendyk, M., & Gallant, R. (2013). 3D printing and scanning at the Dalhousie
University Libraries: A pilot project. Library Hi Tech, 31(1), s. 34-41.
Güney, Y. İ., & Lerner, I. (2012). Technology and architectural education. 1st
International Symposium ICONARCH, Selçuk University, Konya.

USE OF 3D PRINTING TECHNOLOGY IN DESIGN EDUCATION: A STUDY . . .   185
Gür Karabulut, B. Y., & İnce Güney, Y. (2021). Mimarlık eğitimi ve teknoloji.
(Ed. Murat Dal) in Mimarlık Bilimlerinde Araştırma ve Uygulamalar-I
(1-55). Lyon: Livre de Lyon.
Hadjri, K. (2003). Bridging the gap between physical and digital models in
architectural design studios. International Archives of the Photogrammetry,
Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, 34(5)/W10.
Işıktaş, I. D. (2018). Tasarımda ve üretimde 3 boyutlu baskı teknolojisinin
seramik alanında kullanım olanakları, Ulakbilge, vol 6, 28(6), pp. 1193-
1207.doi: 10.7816/ulakbilge-06-28-06
Iwamoto, L. (2009). Digital fabrications: Architectural and material techniques.
New York: Princeton Architectural Press.
Jensen, D. R., Randell, C., Feland, J., & Bowe, M. (2002). A study of rapid
prototyping for use in undergraduate design education. ASEE Annual
Conference.
Johnson, W., M., C., Coates, W., C., Hager, P., & Stevens, N. (2009). Employing
rapid prototyping in a first-year engineering graphics course. ASEE
Southeast Section Conference.
Joklova, V., & Kristianova, K. (2018). Urban design education in the era of
modern technologies. Edulearn 18, Proceedings 10th International
Conference on Educationand New Learning Technologies, Palma, Spain.
2-4 July, 2018.
Kagermann, H., Wahlster, W., & Helbig, J. (2013). Recommendations for
implementing the strategic initiative industrie 4.0 – Final Report of the
Industrie 4.0 Working Group. Frankfurt am Main: Communication
Promoters Group of the Industry-Science Research Alliance, Acatech.
Kalender, M., Bozkurt, Y., Ersoy, S., & Salman, S. (2020). Product development
by additive manufacturing and 3D printer technology in aerospace industry.
Journal of Aeronautics and Space Technologies, 13(1), pp. 129-138.
Martin, R., Bowden, S., & Merrill, C. (2014). 3D printing in technology and
engineering education. The Technology and Engineering Teacher, 73(8),
pp. 30-35.
Modeen, T. (2005). CADCAMing: The use of rapid prototyping for the
conceptualization and fabrication of architecture. Automation in
Construction, 14(2) pp. 215-224.
Novlan, G. A. (2015). Developing and implementing 3D printing services in an
academic library. Library Hi Tech, 33(4), pp. 472-479. doi: 10.1108/LHT-
05-2015-0049

186   SUSTAINABLE CURRENT APPROACHES IN ARCHITECTURAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Oxman, R. (2006). Theory and design in the first digital age. Design Studies,
27(3), pp. 229-265.
Oxman, R., & Oxman, R. (2010). The new structuralism design, engineering
and architectural technologies. Architectural Design. 80(4), pp. 15–25.
Özçam, I. (2013). Biçim dili ile iletişim ekseninde mobilyanın sembolleşmesi
ve günümüz mobilyasının sembolleşmesinde rol oynayan sosyolojik
ve teknolojik etkenler. (PhD dissertation, Mimar Sinan Güzel Sanatlar
Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü), İstanbul.
Özçam, I. (2017). Relation between contemporary furniture and technology, 2nd
World Conference on Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 12-14
May, İstanbul.
Özer, G. (2020). Eklemeli üretim teknolojileri üzerine bir derleme, NÖHÜ
Mühendislik Bilimleri Dergisi 9(1), pp. 606-621.
Paio A., Eloy, S., Moreira Rato, V., Resende, R., & de Oliviera, M. J. (2012).
Prototyping Vitruvius, New challenges: Digital education, research and
practice, Nexus Network Journal 14(3), pp. 409–429. doi:10.1007/s00004-
012-0124-6
Papp, I., Tornai, R., & Zichar, M. (2016). What 3D technologies can bring to
education: The impacts of acquiring a 3D printer, in: 7th IEEE International
Conference Cognition Info Communications (Cog Info Com 2016), IEEE,
Wrocław, Poland, pp. 257–261. doi:10.1109/CogInfoCom.2016.7804558
Radharamanan, R. (2017). Additive manufacturing in manufacturing
education: MA new course, development and ımplementation, in: ASEE
AnnualmConference Expo, ASEE, Columbus, USA.
Seyhan, M., Bayram, G, & Toğay, A. (2021). Hızlı prototipleme ve endüstriyel
tasarım ilişkisinin sektörel üretim süreçlerinde mevcut durum tartışması.
International Journal of 3D Printing Technologies and Digital Industry,
5(2), pp. 326-338.
Tennyson, S. A., & Krueger, T. J. (2001). Classroom evaluation of a rapid
prototyping system. Engineering Design Graphics Journal, 65(2), pp.
21-29.
Tepavcevic, B. (2017). Design thinking models for architectural education. The
Journal of Public Space, 2(3), Special Issue, s.67-72.
Van Epps, A., Huston, D., Sherrill, J., Alvar, A., & Bowen, A. (2015).
How 3D printers support teaching in engineering, technology and
beyond. Bull. Am. Soc. Inf. Sci. Technol. 42, pp. 16–20. doi:10.1002/
bul2.2015.1720420107

USE OF 3D PRINTING TECHNOLOGY IN DESIGN EDUCATION: A STUDY . . .   187
Yang, L. (2018). Education of additive manufacturing: An attempt to inspire
research. Solid Freeform Fabrication 2018: Proceedings of the 29th Annual
International. Solid Freeform Fabrication Symposium – An Additive
Manufacturing Conference (13-15 August 2015) USA: Austin, Texas.
Yılmaz, F., Arar, M. E. & Koç, E. (2014). 3B baskı ile hızlı prototip ve son ürün
üretimi. Metalurji Dergisi, Vol: 168, pp. 35–40.
Link 1. https://www.archdaily.com/326429/foster-partners-to-3d-print-
structures-on-the-moon (Accessed on August 7, 2022).
Link 2. Interview: Karim Rashid about information aesthetics in industrial
design https://www.wired.com/2012/11/infosthetics-a-karim-rashid-
interview/ (Accessed on August 23, 2022).