Frank Lloyd Wright's Annie Pfeiffer Chapel brought back to life using 3D printing

Not even a decade ago, the cost to recast the handmade cement block structures of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Annie Pfeiffer Chapel on the campus of a Florida Southern College was prohibitively expensive.

But today, as 3D printing technology improves and becomes more affordable, the Annie Pfeiffer Chapel was recently restored in precise architectural detail, Design Milk reports.

The chapel was constructed using Wright’s signature textile block building system, utilizing student labor in the years between 1938 to 1941. More than 6,000 tapestry blocks decorated into 46 unique designs were individually cast from coquina and concrete.

Thanks to a $50,000 grant from the Florida Division of Historical Resources and a $350,000 grant provided by the Save America’s Treasurers Program of the National Park Service, the chapel’s splendor was restored. The Florida Southern College reports that by using 3D printers purchased with these grants, restorers were able to create molds for the intricate concrete blocks that were originally constructed by hand.

Consistent with Wright’s original design, 2,000 distinctive colored glass tiles were created and inserted into the manufactured blocks.

Learn more on the chapel’s restoration and see the equipment in action at Florida Southern College news.

In 1871, The Carondelet School, designed by Frederick William Raeder, opened to educate more than 400 children of laborers and manufacturers in St. Louis. The building is getting a second lease on life, as it has undergone a $2 million renovation by goBRANDgo!, a marketing firm for the manufacturing and industrial sectors.

Simulated shingle roofing made from deepdraw steel provides performance advantages such as wind resistance and high solar reflectance. Photo courtesy CertainTeed

Metal roofing trends

New ideas in design and constructability are radically changing how metal systems are used as roofing for commercial and institutional buildings. Behind the investment in these new kinds of expressions and construction approaches is a growing interest in improved performance and reduced environmental impact. Metal roofing systems can cut cooling and heating loads significantly, according to the EPA.

Data Centers | Feb 15, 2022

Data center boom: How two AEC firms plan to meet unprecedented demand for data center facilities

Ramboll's Jim Fox and EYP Mission Critical Facilities' Rick Einhorn discuss the recent joining of their companies at a time of unprecedented data center demand. BD+C's John Caulfield leads the discussion with Fox, Ramboll's Managing Director for the Americas, and Einhorn, EYP Mission Critical Facilities' Managing Director.