Netherlands city prepares for 3D printed houses

The city of Eindhoven in the Netherlands is preparing to welcome the addition of five homes created using 3D printing. Developed by Dutch construction company Van Wijnen and the Eindhoven University of Technology, Project Milestone will feature five buildings, both one-storey and multi-storey properties. The hope, at this stage, is that residents will be able to move into next year – with 20 people currently on the shortlist for the first completed house.

Using a huge robotic arm that will release a specially formulated cement that will be “printed” before being layered to create a wall. The current plan is for the exterior and interior walls to be 3D printed off-site before being brought across to the planned new housing site in the Meerhoven district of Eindhoven. There are also plans for the drainage pipes and other installations for the houses to also be 3D printed.

The project is an exciting prospect and further evidence that the construction industry could well be one of the sectors that utilise 3D printing the most. The project aims to show how 3D printing will solve a number of problems within the construction industry, not least the current shortage of skilled bricklayers currently in the Netherlands.

There is also the fact that 3D printing these houses will significantly cut costs and environmental damage by reducing the amount of cement needed. With such high demand for housing these days, Project Milestone aims to prove that 3D printing is a genuine answer to the global housing shortage.

Rudy van Gurp, a manager at Van Wijnen, said: “We have to get the permits and the houses will be built in line with all Dutch housing regulations. We can make all the calculations but we actually have to do tests which involves making the walls in real life.”

Find more at https:/3dprintedhouse.nl