Work on the First 3D Printed Post Office Is Underway in India

Houses, pavilions, bridges…post offices? Indian social media has been ablaze this past week with news of an interesting new project in the country. In Bengaluru, Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Construction is making the world’s first 3D printed post office. This first 3D printed building in India comes only two years after the inauguration of India’s first 3D printed house and shows the increased interest for the technology in the country.

Increasingly, it seems that 3D printing and construction are going hand in hand. Over the past few years, the projects have multiplied covering everything from the first 3D printed hotel to 3D printed schools, entirely 3D printed communities and even the 3D printed Mars Dune Alpha, a Mars Surface Habitat simulator designed by ICON for NASA. And the cause for the interest in the technology is clear. Thanks to its ability to reduce construction time (as well as decrease costs over time), it has been put forth as a clear solution for more affordable and sustainable construction.

The beginning stages of construction of the 3D printed post office (photo credits: Marisha Thakur via Twitter)

L&T, the construction office behind this project, certainly agrees on its innovativeness. M. V. Satish, the whole-time Director and senior executive vice-president of L&T confirmed, “L&T Construction’s primary focus for 3D printing technology includes affordable housing up to G+3 floors, villas, military barracks, and single-floor schools, post offices, and factories. We are actively seeking to expand our portfolio of 3D printed structures in various sectors and are positioned well to capitalize on the benefits of this innovative technology.” Indeed, they have already been involved with a number of 3D printing construction projects in India, including a single story building in Tamil and a show apartment in Chennai.