Holcim has successfully completed the first part of the largest 3D-printed affordable housing complex to date. 14Trees, a joint venture between Holcim and British International Investment, has now printed the first ten housing units in Kenya, according to a statement. A total of 52 affordable buildings are planned for the gated community called Mvule Gardens near the town of Kilifi. Further innovations will be tested with each new phase of construction, according to Holcim. The project is part of the Green Heart of Kenya regenerative ecosystem, a model for inclusive and climate resilient cities.
Building on 14Trees' world-first 3D-printed school in Malawi, the Mvula Gardens complex will help close the country's infrastructure gap and create affordable, climate-friendly housing on a large scale. The new technology will also create highly skilled jobs, as local workers will be trained as 3D machine assistants and specialists.
The 3D printing of these ten residential units was made possible with TectorPrint, Holcim's innovative 3D printing ink, which was produced in Kenya for the first time. The project’s sustainability profile has attained an EDGE advanced sustainable design certification from the International Finance Corporation, the World Bank Group’s development finance institution.
“I am very proud of the work done by 14Trees in Africa, where their innovations in 3D printing technology are accelerating affordable and sustainable building,” commented Miljan Gutovic, Region Head for Europe at Holcim, in the statement. “I look forward to 14Trees replicating these successes in Europe and other parts of Africa in the very near future.” mm
