Will 3D printed houses be the new norm in the Netherlands?

Exciting 3D printing news brings the focus back to the Netherlands as 3D printed houses could be built by next year in the city of Eindhoven. An additional initiative in the construction field that confirms the benefits of additive manufacturing compared to more traditional methods. This project, named Project Milestone, is being run by the Eindhoven University of Technology and includes four additional players such as French group Saint Gobain.

This is not the first time that the Dutch city has focused on additive manufacturing in a construction project, as they have recently inaugurated a concrete bridge for cyclists. This bridge was also printed by the same university, in partnership with BAM Infra. This time around, the university is focusing their attention on housing that will be welcoming their first tenants in mid-2019.

The concrete 3D printer at Eindhoven University

Five 3D printed houses

The Milestone project involves the construction of five 3D printed houses. The first should be ready by next year and includes one floor; the other four will have several floors. The concrete structures will be subjected to all usual industry requirements and will meet occupant requirements for comfort, layout, quality, and price. The houses were designed by architects Houben and Van Mierlo, who wanted to create rather irregular structures. The rounded and asymmetrical shapes of the houses will be fully created thanks to concrete 3D printing, which offers more geometric freedom.