In September, Europe’s first 3D-printed office extension opened in Hausleiten, Austria. The project is the result of a collaboration between the construction technology concern Strabag and the scaffolding and formwork manufacturer and 3D concrete printing pioneer Peri. The concrete 3D printer that was used comes from Denmark’s Cobod International. The building is a 125 m2 office extension to an existing building in Hausleiten.
Milestone for everyone involved
– The building in Hausleiten is a milestone for Strabag, Peri, and everyone else involved. And a milestone for the Austrian construction industry as a whole. We are convinced that 3D printing of buildings will be part of the future in construction, as this technology offers solutions to challenges currently occupying our industry: Digitization, efficiency, lack of qualified labour and much more, said Thomas Imbacher from Peri.
Printed in 45 hours
The extension was printed with a BOD2 from Cobod International. The BOD2 3D construction printer’s maximum speed of one meter per second is the fastest in the world. Thus, the shell construction in Hausleiten could be completed in just 45 hours of pure print time.
Great design freedom
3D printing offers greater design freedom than classic concrete construction, such as rounded shapes. The office building in Austria impresses with its unusual architectural form, and the printed concrete structures are recognizable as a design element on the facade. It gives the building a special appearance together with the cloverleaf shape.
Proud of the success of the technology
– We are proud to see more buildings 3D printed with our BOD2 printer. Our technology is documented for 3D printing both low-rise residential buildings and larger constructions such as wind turbine towers, concrete pipe supports, schools and now an office building. We are convinced that 3D construction printing will revolutionize the construction industry due to its ability to automate and industrialize the construction process, says Henrik Lund-Nielsen, founder and director of Cobod International.
Attracts investors
In 2018, Peri Group bought a minority stake in Cobod. Since then, both companies have worked closely together to push the boundaries of 3D building printing. With the print project in Hausleiten, the Peri 3D printer team has now completed six print projects with Cobod’s 3D building printers. The projects include the first 3D-printed house in Germany, Europe’s first 3D-printed multi-family house/apartment building and now the office extension in Hausleiten.
Cobod’s success was also noticed in Switzerland. Here, the materials giant Holcim chose to enter Cobod International as an investor at the beginning of October.
Will shape the future
– I am proud that Holcim has joined us as an investor along with our other shareholders, Peri, GE Renewable Energy and Cemex. Holcim is already a very important partner for us and their focus on making cities greener, building smarter infrastructure and improving living standards is well aligned with our mission at COBOD. With Holcim on board, COBOD now covers both distribution, applications and materials within 3D construction printing, and together we will be able to shape the future of 3D printing in construction, concludes Henrik Lund-Nielsen from Cobod.
