Work on the First 3D Printed Post Office Is Underway in India

Houses, pavilions, bridges…post offices? Indian social media has been ablaze this past week with news of an interesting new project in the country. In Bengaluru, Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Construction is making the world’s first 3D printed post office. This first 3D printed building in India comes only two years after the inauguration of India’s first 3D printed house and shows the increased interest for the technology in the country.

Increasingly, it seems that 3D printing and construction are going hand in hand. Over the past few years, the projects have multiplied covering everything from the first 3D printed hotel to 3D printed schools, entirely 3D printed communities and even the 3D printed Mars Dune Alpha, a Mars Surface Habitat simulator designed by ICON for NASA. And the cause for the interest in the technology is clear. Thanks to its ability to reduce construction time (as well as decrease costs over time), it has been put forth as a clear solution for more affordable and sustainable construction.

The beginning stages of construction of the 3D printed post office (photo credits: Marisha Thakur via Twitter)

L&T, the construction office behind this project, certainly agrees on its innovativeness. M. V. Satish, the whole-time Director and senior executive vice-president of L&T confirmed, “L&T Construction’s primary focus for 3D printing technology includes affordable housing up to G+3 floors, villas, military barracks, and single-floor schools, post offices, and factories. We are actively seeking to expand our portfolio of 3D printed structures in various sectors and are positioned well to capitalize on the benefits of this innovative technology.” Indeed, they have already been involved with a number of 3D printing construction projects in India, including a single story building in Tamil and a show apartment in Chennai.

Making the First 3D Printed Post Office

The 3D printed post office itself is being made with a BOD2 3D printer from COBOD. The Danish company is one of the leader in 3D printing construction and have been behind a number of different projects over the years. Notably, they worked with L&T Construction on India’s first two-story building. For this particular project, 3D printing was chosen yet again thanks to its speed. L&T estimates that it will take only 45 days to build the 1000 sq-ft 3D printed Halasuru Post Office, which will also include not just the structure but also mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) and finishes. It is also estimated to cost only Rs 23 lakh (about $28,042), a reduction of about 30-40% in comparison to similar projects.

Progress on the 3D printed walls of the post office (photo credits: DH Photo/BH Shivakumar)

It is also possible because it seems that, at least in India, the government as well as academia are already on board with 3D printed construction and willing to approve it for building. In a statement, L&T stated, “While the technology has been approved by the Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council (BMTPC), the structural design of the post office has been validated by IIT Madras.” In any case, though it is not yet finished, it is an exciting project and we will be sure to keep you updated on its progress.

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*Cover Photo Credits: K. Murali Kumar