The idea that some (or all) of the houses that burnt down in the dramatic LA fires will be rebuilt in concrete, possibly using 3D printing technology, may be strengthened by the revelation that Pikus is 3D printing all the concrete seating for a stadium, working with the specialists at HOK. While the stadium benches are being printed away from the final location, this large-scale concrete 3D printing level shows that the technology is now mature enough to undertake massive projects.
The first HOK-designed 3D concrete stadium seating components have already been shipped. They will be installed by BrightView Landscapes’s Utah branch, Intermountain Plantings. After the hardscape is complete, they will be coated on-site to minimize construction damage to the final 2-stage coated finish.
Affectionally naming it within PIKUS3D as “the Star Wars Bench,” the company worked with HOK’s Benjamin Kuchinsky on the design. He was impressed with the relative speed of 3DCP vs other means of achieving this design with concrete. PIKUS3D will share the final photos once the stadium is complete.
HOK has been carbon neutral since 2022 and is dedicated to achieving net-zero emissions in the projects it designs by 2030. In 2023, on average, HOK’s projects surpassed the American Institute of Architects (AIA) 2030 energy reduction targets, achieving a 65.5% reduction in energy use intensity compared to baseline levels, with many already meeting or exceeding the targets. The company is committed to addressing both operational and embodied carbon through innovative research and design strategies, including structural optimization and sustainable material selection. Concrete 3D printing may accelerate this as well.
