Case Study: Massachusetts Institute of Technology achieves rapid, high‑detail architectural model production and a cutting‑edge design course with 3D Systems (Projet CJP)

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Builds 3D Printing into the Classroom

3D Systems partnered with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Department of Architecture to tackle a persistent challenge in architectural education: traditional hand-made models were slow, demanded specialized craft skills, and struggled to reproduce complex ornamentation and fine details. Faculty and students needed a faster, classroom-friendly way to produce accurate, repeatable components for research and teaching without sacrificing geometric complexity.

MIT adopted 3D Systems’ Projet CJP (Color Jet Printing) full-color 3D printer, which delivered fast, clean parts with no internal supports and could be operated in a classroom setting. The technology enabled Lawrence Sass to complete detailed Palladio research and launch a new graduate course in digital design and rapid prototyping; the course quickly became oversubscribed, led to presentations to leading firms (including Norman Foster and Partners and Kohn Pedersen Fox), and helped integrate building prototyping into professional practice.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Lawrence Sass

Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture