Holcim 3D-prints Kenyan housing complex
Holcim is printing what is claimed to be Africa’s largest 3D-printed affordable housing complex.
The 52-house complex in Kenya is being developed by its joint venture 14Trees in partnership with CDC Group, the UK’s development finance institution.
The Mvule Gardens housing complex, which builds on Holcim’s 3D-printed school in Malawi, is designed to scale up affordable housing in Kenya to be part of bridging the country’s infrastructure gap.
Holcim said the project was made possible by its proprietary ‘ink’ – dry mortar – TectorPrint, giving the walls structural function to bear the load of the building. It said that this breakthrough will accelerate the scale-up of 3D printing for affordable housing.
Jan Jenisch, CEO Holcim, said: “We are excited to be building one of the world’s largest 3D-printed affordable housing projects in Kenya. With today’s rapid urbanisation, over three billion people are expected to need affordable housing by 2030. This issue is most acute in Africa, with countries like Kenya already facing an estimated shortage of two million houses. By deploying 3D printing, we can address this infrastructure gap at scale to increase living standards for all.”