What went right: Europe’s first printed house, plus more positive news

A retired Dutch couple have become Europe’s first inhabitants of a 3D printed house. Elize Lutz and Harrie Dekkers (main image above) moved into the rock-shaped bungalow in Eindhoven for the weekend. They are renting the two-bedroom place for € 800 (£ 695) a month.

A far cry from the attractive and quirky townhouses synonymous with the Netherlands, the squat structure is the world’s first 3D-printed habitable property with load-bearing walls.

Proponents of the technology say it could lower construction costs, make properties more affordable, as well as reduce the amount of cement used in construction. Cement is responsible for approximately 8 percent of the world’s CO2 emissions.

Professor Theo Salet of Eindhoven University of Technology said the house, one of five planned by construction company Saint-Gobain Weber Beamix, was a “big step” towards scaling up 3D printing technology. “Digitization from design to implementation leads to sustainable and affordable housing, tailored to the resident’s wishes,” he added.

Picture: Saint-Gobain Weber Beamix