Africa’s largest 3D-printed affordable housing project announced in Kenya
A joint venture between Holcim and CDC Group, has embraced a 3D-printed affordable housing project that will see housing developments competed in record time.
The new technology allows houses to be built in less 12 than hours
The company says a new neighbourhood in a Kenyan town will spring into existence in record time thanks to a world-beating 3D printing technology.
The Project will be developed by 14Trees and will see the new 52 house community form part of the Green Heart of Kenya regenerative ecosystem, a Kenyan model for inclusive and climate-resilient cities.
Jan Jenisch, CEO, Holcim With today’s rapid urbanization, over three billion people are expected to need affordable housing by 2030.
“We are excited to be building one of the world’s largest 3D-printed affordable housing projects in Kenya. 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,” said Jenisch.
The 52 house Mvule Gardens project will be located in Kilifi town, north of Mombasa, in Kenya.
14Trees will be Building on a track record of speed and progress, to penetrate the Kenyan market with a view to expand Africa’s innovation in construction and further develop 3D printing technology across the continent.
This project was made possible by Holcim’s proprietary ink, TectorPrint, giving the walls structural function to bear the load of the building. The new technique reduces the environmental footprint by more than 50% compared to traditional processes and lowers CO2 emissions typical to standard methods of cement production.
Further, 14Trees identifies natural fibre components to strengthen best practices in 3D printing for construction in Africa and creates locally based skilled jobs in sustainability and 3D technology operations, among other areas.
In addition, the purpose-built design by the United States – Africa based architectural practice, MASS Design Group, seeks to provide modern and replicable housing units adapted to the needs of underserved communities among lower-income households. 14Trees will begin construction of Mvule Gardens in the first quarter of 2022.
Tenbite Ermias, Head of Africa and Africa Managing Director, CDC Group, said that the innovation is a valuable, rapid, and economical solution to the housing deficit in sub-Saharan Africa, which is estimated at 50 million units. Commenting on 14Trees ability to develop safe, well-located, and reliable homes for communities across Africa,
“14 Trees is pioneering the use of leading-edge technology to address one of Africa’s most pressing development needs – affordable housing – to create life-changing infrastructure for whole communities.”
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