The First 3D Printed House in the Czech Republic Could Float on Water

published Aug 2, 2020
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Credit: ©Buřinka

Buřinka, a company that specializes in construction and housing with 3D technology, has built the first 3D printed house in the Czech Republic—and it could float on water, too. A collaboration with sculptor Michal Trpák, the house, dubbed Prvok od Buřinky, took just 22 hours (and 17 tons of concrete mixture) to print. Built with sustainability-conscious clients in mind, the eco-friendly design reduces CO2 emissions and waste, eliminates 50% of construction costs, and features technologies that reduce the cost of living, such as heat pumps and solar panels for water heating. Above all else, it looks really freakin’ cool. 

The 3D printed house is suitable for both city and country dwellers. It accommodates 43 square meters of floor space (which translates to about 462 square feet) and has three bedrooms: a living room with a kitchen, a bedroom, and a bathroom with a toilet. It’s built with a robotic arm called a Scoolpt, which eliminates construction waste and reduces CO2 emissions by 20%. A specially-developed concrete mixture is used to create the structure. Printed in June, the house is expected to be fully constructed by the end of summer (and open to the public sometime in August).

Credit: ©Buřinka
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“In the future, the owners can crush the building once it has run its useful life, and print it again with the same material directly on the location,” Trpák explained to Designbloom of its longevity. And, according to the Prvok od Buřinky’s press release, the structure can withstand an avalanche. (A mechanical resistance and stability test has been conducted with the Experimental Centre of the Faculty of Civil Engineering at the Czech Technical University in Prague.) The hope is for 3D printed homes to become commonplace in the European country.

“In order for the 3D-printing technology to become part of the construction industry, we need to introduce it to researchers as well as architects, builders, government, and other authorities,” Jiří Vele, a participating architect, said in a press release. “New study fields must be created.”

Watch the captivating 3D process in the video above.