In one of the most up and coming industrial districts of Milan, just around the corner from the iconic RAI studios and the headquarters of design giants Gucci, something quite extraordinary is taking place. It is 3Dome, a brand-new 3D printing venture intended to push the boundaries of manufacturing, a declaration of war on waste, but also a declaration of imagination and creativity.
It is the brainchild of founders Ludovico Esposito and Matthew Narusevicius, who established the 3Dome lab to be a perfect combination of workshop and playground. A place where the sparks of imagination can fly.
Whoswho.mt sat down with the partners behind the project, to better understand how 3Dome distinguishes itself from other similar set-ups and find out more about their ambitions for the future.
With a background in marketing, Ludovico takes on the creative lead of the project, as he runs the show in Milan. “For me 3D printing isn't just about producing objects. It's potentially about rewriting the rules of how products are made, sold, and valued,” he explains.
With a solid foundation in digital marketing, Ludovico is no stranger to the limitless potential of social media. “It all started from a marketing drive, to create engaging content for a consumer audience. Together with a group of friends, we decided to build and go live in a house, in which all articles would be for sale. This gave us the unrivalled opportunity to create an immense volume of content about these products while we were using them in our everyday lives, which went very well,” Ludovico recalls.
However, the stroke of real genius wasn’t far, as Ludovico decided to turn the model on its head once again.
“It was evident to us that buying and importing mass-produced products from far away countries was taking away from the value proposition we believed in, and it wasn’t long until we decided to venture into producing our products ourselves.” That is how 3Dome was born.
“Why should we keep selling things from China, when we can make unique artistic articles sustainably and locally?” Ludovico challenged his colleagues. “What started as an eHome developed into 3Dome – a declaration of freedom.”
Soon, Ludovico was looking into the best way of producing the best quality, most environmentally friendly 3D printed objects, growing into a full-blown 3D printing venture that outgrew its original purpose.
3Dome uses Fused Deposition Modelling technology, and is looking at using up to 30 per cent recycled material, which will be a significant step towards sustainability, while maintaining a focus on quality.
“We have printed everything from small keychains to large-scale objects,” Ludovico notes. “One proud moment was when we were invited to create and assemble a large-scale modular sculpture, during a live three-day event in Milan. This gave us the unforgettable opportunity to really connect with the audience and explain what we were doing. The engagement was remarkable, as those present found the project extremely fascinating. People just want to be part of something alive,” Ludovico reflects.
Selling a product which is essentially just an idea, can be quite hard, but Ludovico’s passion for the method, and fertile imagination can be quite contagious.
“At the studio we don’t have a catalogue of products that we can produce, because the whole world is our catalogue of products,” Ludovico quips. “We love to be challenged with exciting and never-done-before requests. Then it’s up to us to start thinking and planning how we can come up with a solution to make it happen.”
According to Ludovico himself, the 3Dome lab is more akin to a theme park, rather than a manufacturing facility. “We like to keep the place vibrant, colourful, and brimming with energy. We want it to be a space that buzzes with inspiration.”
It was this sort of thinking-outside-of-the-box that saved the day early in 3Dome’s journey, when a friend of Ludovico’s accidentally broke the glass top of a €4,000 designer desk, much to everyone’s disappointment. Ludovico urged his friend not to throw away the table, as he promised him, he would come up with some sort of solution. Fast forward a few days, and Ludovico provided the friend with a brand-new 3D printed tabletop, sporting his favourite football team logo, for good measure. The friend was amazed by the immense power of 3D printing and is always happy to tell the story to anyone who enters his office!
“The relationship we build with our clients is central to our success, since it all depends on how well we understand what their needs are. Every piece is conceived, designed, and printed around a need, an identity, a story. Clients choose us because they want to be part of our project and mission. In a way, we like to believe that our clients, too, want to carry the message of freedom which is central to 3Dome Labs,” Ludovico proudly asserts.
From his end, Matthew was always driven by a strong ecological ethic, having championed other similar innovative projects such as vegan restaurants and other sustainably minded projects.
“3Dome is a direct investment in the future. As a project that has started from Malta, through the wonders of 3D printing technology we have the opportunity to explore new boundaries and push ourselves to the limit of what we can produce. We are literally, rewriting the rule book of manufacturing, as absolutely anything that comes into our head is possible! That is why we decided to name the project 3Dome. A name that recalls freedom. It is complete freedom to create and hope for a better future," Matthew concludes.
Visit 3Dome’s website to learn more about how 3D printing has the solution you were looking for.
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