SVELTE SIGNED

Project "SVELTE" data sheet

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 Partnership

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Map

 Project objective

The free-form architectural style is now at the stage of experimentation and conceptual review, providing architects with the opportunity for to expand the scope of their creativity. However, the technical limitations in producing a free-form building cause time and cost problems. Techniques applied to most free-form buildings have been three-dimensional (3D) design and computerized numeric control (CNC) shaping technology, gradually milling blocks of foam material to obtain the moulds in which to later cast the desired fluid surfaces. This process is slow and adds to exorbitant costs. Most free-form buildings have construction cost at least 10 times their budgets.

Svelte is a patented, unique, innovative machine system which generates all types of surfaces, including double-curved and freeform geometries, at a fraction of the cost and time of current methods, without using CNCs. Svelte works on a patented advanced wire cutting technology that has the ability to change its shape while cutting through foam or wax-based material to generate the desired surfaces. With an estimated price of €150/m2, a Svelte produced mould is at least 50% cheaper than a regular milled mould and has the ability to be mass produced in a minutes. A CNC machine reaches breakeven after 3000-4000 hours. In the same amount of time a 1.5m width Svelte machine the total equivalent output of approx. 48 CNC machines.

No other solution exists that generates complex surfaces in one straightforward operation. This leads the path to fully automated and modular production lines under a ‘factories in a box’ business model that will make mass customized panels affordable and change architecture as we know it. Svelte aims to become the leading manufacturer of complex architectural panels in a €214.4 Bn market, and to scale the business to €20 million by 2024.