Client: Pine School
Location: Hobe Sound, FL
Project Type: Commercial / Hardscape / Landscape / Educational
Timeline: Â 1 Day Printing / 1 Day to Install (by Contractor)
The Challenge
While engineering curriculums teach the math and physics behind construction, students rarely get the chance to see their digital concepts become permanent physical objects. The Pine School wanted to offer their high school engineering students a real world manufacturing experience, one that went beyond plastic desktop 3D printers. The goal was to bridge the gap between classroom theory and industrial application, challenging students to design furniture that was not just aesthetically pleasing, but structurally sound and printable within the constraints of large-scale robotic technology.
The Solution
Printera led a comprehensive design fellowship that treated the students like professional associates. We began with an intensive workshop on the fundamentals of 3D construction printing (3DCP), teaching the specific parameters of layer height, overhang limits, and material behavior. The students then broke into teams to develop competing proposals. After a rigorous review process, Printera selected two standout concepts; a sculptural bench and a complementary planter, and guided the student teams through a professional refinement phase. This wasn’t a case of us taking over; the students drove the design, with our team providing only minimal optimizations to ensure printability.
The Outcome
The winning design is now a permanent fixture at the Pine School’s front entrance, welcoming faculty, students, parents, and visitors every day. The installation features two custom 3D-printed benches and four matching planters, all fabricated at our facility based on the students’ files. Beyond the physical beauty of the concrete, the true outcome is the legacy left behind: current and future students can look at the entrance and see proof that their ideas have power. It serves as a lasting testament to student innovation and a successful model for how industry and education can collaborate.
