In the past, an architect could wait years to see their vision for a new structure finally come to life through construction after being conceived and drawn on a page. With 3D printing technology, an architect can now build an exact model of his or her project, highlighting intricate design details that otherwise would never have appeared in a basic cardboard representation. The technology frees architects from long and tedious hours of gluing, cutting and trying to manipulate unforgiving materials into specific shapes.