The first ever 3D-printed home has been created in Germany - and the construction process is pretty mind-blowing.
Despite the earliest 3D printer originating in the 1980s, additive technology didn’t gain serious traction until the early 2000s.
Decades on, developments, precision, and repeatability have allowed the process to become a viable method of industrial-production technology.
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And in 2024, 3D printing is employed to build everything from shelves to coffee tables.
Currently, the most common process is fused deposition modeling (FDM), which works by layering melted filament material to complete projects.
However, in 2020 leading formwork and scaffolding company PERI Group teamed up with Mense-Korte to utilise an innovative concrete printer.
The results? Germany’s first-ever residential building built entirely using a 3D printer.
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The state's Innovative Construction funding program initially supported production on the single-family home - set in Beckum, North Rhine-Westphalia.
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After receiving €200,000 ($217,457), PERI began to create the jaw-dropping two-story home using concrete printing under Hous3Druck.
As per 3dnatives, the company utilised a gantry printer which carried out a movement of the print head over three axes on a permanently installed metal frame.
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The material to build the single-family home was called ‘i.tech 3D’ which was specifically developed by HeidelbergCement for large 3D printing projects.
After just eight months of work, the German pilot project was completed and was later sold to a woman named Lisa-Maria Hanhues.
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Following the completion of the the 3D home, Dr. Jennifer Scheydt, Head of the Department of Engineering & Innovation at HeidelbergCement Deutschland said: “Printing the residential building in Beckum is a milestone for 3D printing technology.
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“As strong and innovative partner of this project, we have contributed to adapting the traditional construction material concrete to the possibilities offered by 3D printing. We are convinced that this new way of building will assert itself in the coming years.”
The state-of-the-art property itself consists of two floors - the first level featuring an open-plan living room and dining area.
The top floor features three bedrooms and three bathrooms and all furniture has been created using recyclable materials only.
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There’s also an integrated ventilation system that pumps clean air into each room while heating pads have been placed behind the ceiling to regulate temperature.
But what about electricity? Well, Mense-Korte thought of that too.
The architecture group printed out hollow walls and worked with German electronic engineering company Tapmeir to instal smart devices from Gira.
Inside the state-of-the-art property, you will find a central control unit for automated lighting, blinds and heating.
Smart switches, glossy touch systems and water-protected sockets have also been installed for indoor and outdoor use.
German minister Ina Scharrenbach added that she was sure that additive manufacturing would apply ‘positive pressure’ to the construction industry and that more experience using the technology was needed.