Belgium Has Used Europe's Largest Fixed Concrete 3D Printer to Complete the “Integrated” House Printing

According to The Architect’s Newspaper website, the Provincial Center for Sustainable Building and Innovation, located in Westerlo, Antwerp Province, Belgium, also known as Kamp C Innovation Center, has completed the printing of a two-storey prototype house. This prototype house covers only approximately 970 square feet (around 90 square meters). The report states that this is an "integrated" house completed using Europe's largest fixed concrete 3D printer.

According to a press release from the province of Antwerp, the area of this concrete prototype house is roughly similar to other single-family terrace houses in the region, but it is three times stronger than typical brick buildings. The entire house printing process took only three weeks. Experts anticipate that with advancements in 3D printing technology, such houses could potentially be printed within two days. This could result in savings of up to 60% in construction materials, construction time, and budget expenditures.

This innovative housing model will be retained at the Kamp C Innovation Center, which is situated in a former British military transportation facility area. Starting this September, the center will open to the public by appointment, serving as a "demonstration project" for the Province's emerging concrete 3D printing technology.

"When we started building it, we actually didn't know what it would be used for”, explained Piet Wielemans, the architect at Kamp C Innovation Center. "Our goal was to print a prototype house with the area, height, and shape of a typical modern residence, and featuring multi-functional options. This house can be used as a residence, a meeting room, an office, or an exhibition space".

The concrete 3D-printed house created by the Kamp C Innovation Center has dimensions roughly equivalent to a typical row house in the Flemish region of Belgium.

The conceptual design and construction of this house were carried out with the support of over $755,000 provided by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the European C3PO project. According to reports from the Province of Antwerp, this Project aims to accelerate the adoption of this innovative technology in the province of Flanders. The project was first announced in the spring of last year and eight project partners, including educational institutions, material suppliers, and construction companies, participated in the project.

Kathleen Helsen, the President of Kamp C Innovation Center and housing official in the Province of Antwerp, stated, "Concrete 3D printing in the construction industry is a growing trend worldwide, and there is significant interest in the construction sector. Various possibilities, including printing temporary housing and even complete apartments, have been implemented, but in the province of Flanders, this technology is still very innovative. At the same time, the construction industry is facing unprecedented challenges: we must reduce material and energy consumption, decrease carbon dioxide and wastewater emissions, so the demand for high-quality and affordable housing is on the rise. At Kamp C, we believe that new technologies like concrete 3D printing can help us address these challenges. Therefore, Kamp C Innovation Center allows all construction companies to collaborate with research and educational institutions in scientific experiments involving concrete 3D printing."

Source：The Architect’s Newspaper