Over a decade ago, one of my “Haven’t Seen Yets” was using 3D printing technology to create homes for one of the ocean’s creatures – hermit crabs. Anantara Dhigu has gone one better to use the innovative approach to create a home for ALL creatures – “Anantara Dhigu Maldives Resort Partners with rrreefs on an Innovative 3D-Printed Clay Reef Restoration Project”
- “Anantara Dhigu Maldives Resort has placed 13 flower-shaped reef structures in its surrounding lagoon, produced by reef restoration company rrreefs using 3D printed fired terracotta clay, steel reinforcement, and a minimal concrete component for structural integrity. The installation, named Theyra Maa — meaning “13 Flowers” in Dhivehi — was developed by a team that included Co-Founder Josephine Graf, Head of Production Mauro Bischoff, and Marine Ecologist Dr. Julia Spaet, alongside Dr. Gerrit Nanninga, a Research Fellow in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. Bischoff described the material and geometric rationale behind the structures: “We designed the Theyra Maa reef structures using durable and sustainable materials, with fired terracotta clay as the primary component, complemented by steel and a minimal amount of concrete to ensure structural integrity.”
