A Systematic Review of Innovative Advances in Multi-Material Additive Manufacturing: Implications for Architecture and Construction

Additive manufacturing (AM) has made rapid progress in most industries; however, the construction sector lags behind, despite substantial potential for growth. This study aims to evaluate recent innovations in AM, with a focus on multi-material additive manufacturing (MMAM), to identify transferable knowledge and technologies for the construction industry. A systematic Boolean search reviewing the Scopus and Web of Science databases identified 33 relevant articles out of 368 papers published in English over the last five years. Material properties, manufacturing processes, and design approaches were collectively identified as key interdisciplinary factors; these included thermal and mechanical property gradation techniques from materials science, multi-scale optimization approaches from engineering, and real-time monitoring systems from manufacturing, which are each transferable to architectural applications. Bibliometric analysis demonstrated growing research trajectories in AI-driven optimization methods and functionally graded materials that could bridge the implementation gap in construction. This article identifies significant knowledge gaps in scaling laboratory-proven MMAM techniques to architectural applications, including material interface challenges, environmental durability concerns, and the absence of design tools specific to building-scale components. We provide a critical roadmap for researchers that prioritizes the development of integrated optimization frameworks; multiscale modeling techniques; novel material combinations suitable for construction environments; and standardized protocol bases for Equipment Design, Process Control, Design Integration, Digital Tools, and Materials Research for evaluating the long-term performance and safety of MMAM building components.