Europe Builds First 3D-Printed Concrete Social Housing

What’s New

Ireland has built Europe’s first 3D-printed concrete social housing as the continent catches up with a technology that the U.S. has already started implementing into the housing sector.

The three 3D-printed concrete homes are in Grange Close, Dundalk, on the northeastern coast of Ireland and are the result of a collaboration between the 3D-printing firm Harcourt Technologies (HTL.tech), material supplier Roadstone and the Louth County Council. Each home, which was built using a BOD2 3D construction printer from Denmark-based firm Cobod, has three bedrooms and covers 1,184 square feet.

Newsweek contacted Cobod and the Louth County Council for comment by email on Friday.

Why It Matters

Ireland is in the midst of a housing and homelessness crisis that has sparked protests among frustrated locals and that deeply influenced the recent elections in the country.

While Ireland’s housing crisis has now been ongoing for about a decade, the problem is said to have worsened in recent years, as construction has dramatically lagged behind demand and migration to the country has increased requests for more homes.

Other countries, including the U.S., are suffering from a historic shortage of homes. In the U.S., builders simply haven’t constructed enough homes since the 2008 financial crisis to match current demands, and the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the issue of homelessness.

Finding creative, quick and efficient solutions to fix the existing gap between demand and supply in the housing market would massively help countries like Ireland and the U.S.—and the growing interest towards 3D-printing is a sign of that.

What To Know

The three homes in Louth County were built in only 132 days from the initial site preparation to the handover of the keys, as reported by Global Construction Review, less than the 203 days typically needed using traditional construction methods, according to Cobod. The walls took 12 days to be printed, while the entire structure was built in 18 days, according to the Danish company.

Cobod mainly attributes the time saved on construction to 3D-printing the wall system, while some time was saved by the careful planning of all building components allowed before construction by the 3D construction printing method.

The homes, whose construction complied with European Union’s masonry standards, are set to be used as social housing and will be rented to people with low income or those who can’t afford their own accommodation.

What People Are Saying

Cobod, as reported by Construction Briefing: “The use of the 3DCP technology meant 35 percent faster construction and completion in just 132 days compared to conventional methods requiring more than 200 days, with the 3D printed superstructure completed in just 12 printing days. Approximately 50 percent of the time savings came directly from 3D printing the wall system.”

Justin Kinsella, MD and co-founder of HTL.tech: “Co. Louth is at the forefront of innovative technology aimed at offering a solution to Ireland’s housing shortage, and having grown up in the region, I am immensely proud. This endeavour highlights Louth County Council’s progressive stance towards meeting housing needs and its dedication to promoting sustainable solutions. The transformative potential of this technology is very exciting, offering a viable solution to help address our housing challenges. We’re excited to start the Grange Close project and work with our development partners to create real change.”

What’s Next

3D printing technology has already been used to build houses in Europe, some of which are already occupied and have become homes to their residents. Sweden and Germany have built such homes, as builders try to speed up construction time and digitalize the sector.

While it’s the first time that 3D-printing has been used to build social housing, it’s likely that this will become a more common solution for governments struggling to address housing shortages in the future.