Just a few years ago, seeing a giant machine depositing layers of concrete to build a house seemed like a scene from a science fiction film. However, what's happening in places like the French town of Bezannes demonstrates that 3D printing of buildings is no longer a laboratory experiment, but a real alternative that is starting to generate a lot of buzz in the European real estate sector for its ability to drastically shorten delivery times.
This paradigm shift not only aims to build faster to expedite developments, but also addresses pressing issues such as the shortage of skilled labor and the high cost of traditional building materials. Ultimately, the main goal is to optimize every gram of cement so that building a home ceases to be an endless process and becomes a much more efficient and sustainable endeavor for the planet.
ViliaSprint: the French giant that leads the way
One of the most recent milestones on our continent has taken place on the outskirts of Reims. There, the ViliaSprint² project has achieved something that seemed unthinkable: constructing a block of twelve social housing units in just 34 days of actual printing time. What's most remarkable is that 50 days had initially been budgeted for this phase, but the precision of the Danish machinery used allowed for an unexpected reduction in time, requiring only three operators to oversee the entire technical process on-site.
What makes this French building special is that both the load-bearing structure and the internal partitions were pressed directly onto the site. Using a portal frame system that slides along rails, the machine releases a special cementitious mixture that solidifies quickly. However, one must remain grounded: although the structure is built suspended above ground, traditional tradespeople still need to come in to install the windows, wiring, and final finishes—a process that remains manual for the time being.
Cost savings and millimeter precision
One of the strongest arguments in favor of this technology is cost savings. It is estimated that the use of these large-format printers can reduce the market cost of a home by around 30%. This is largely due to significantly less material waste. While in a conventional construction project, rubble and waste typically account for around 10%, with this automated system it barely reaches 5%, since the nozzle only releases the concrete that the digital design has previously calculated.
Besides the money saved on materials, the design freedom is complete. Creating a curved wall or a facade with organic shapes is usually extremely expensive using traditional methods due to the formwork required. However, for a 3D printer, creating a curve is just as easy as creating a straight line, allowing architects to unleash their creativity without the budget skyrocketing.
The landscape of 3D printing in Spain
In our country, we are not lagging behind, and we are already seeing the first serious steps in this field. In the Community of Madrid, specifically in Torres de la Alameda, the first prefabricated office has already been built, and in the Canary Islands, the first single-family home completed using this method has been unveiled. National companies are collaborating with cement giants to adapt the mixes to our climate and regulations, aiming to ensure that this technology is not just a novelty but a solution to the problem of affordable housing.
The biggest challenge right now isn't the machine itself, but the paperwork. European building regulations are very strict and designed for traditional brick and reinforced concrete. Adapting certification and safety frameworks so that a printed wall is legally just as valid as a conventional one is the bottleneck preventing us from seeing entire neighborhoods with printed walls in a matter of months. Even so, interest from Spanish developers is growing due to the shortage of young construction workers willing to work on-site.
As technology matures, it's clear that the construction of what we call "rough construction"—walls and basic structures—is undergoing a complete shift towards automation. The ability to have the structure of a 120-square-meter house ready in just 48 hours opens up a vast array of possibilities for responding to housing emergencies or simply making housing more affordable . Although it will still be a few years before this becomes commonplace in every neighborhood, the combination of energy savings, reduced waste, and speed of execution seems to be a winning formula that's here to stay in our cities.