Guatemala’s First 3D Printed (and Earthquake-Proof!) House Has Been Installed
How far has concrete 3D printing progressed? Over the recent months, we have told you about a number of different projects using this technology to create housing. Now it has arrived in another Central American country. The first 3D printed house in Guatemala has officially been installed. Specifically, it was inaugurated by Progreso X, the corporate accelerator of the company Progreso, an industrial concrete leader in Central and South America. In addition, this interesting project was made possible thanks to the participation of the Danish group 3DCP who used the BOD2 concrete 3D printer, from the company COBOD International. This is one of the most widely used concrete additive manufacturing machines in the world, already used for many projects in the USA, Canada and Mexico, among others.
3D printing in Latin America is growing rapidly, thanks to different companies and organizations driving these developments. In the construction field, we already know the case of the 3D printed housing community that was created in Mexico to provide a home for local families. On this occasion, a new milestone in this field of manufacturing has been unveiled, although this time in Guatemala. Plinio Estuardo Herrera, Concrete R&D Manager at Progreso, commented, “With immense satisfaction, we completed this unique project using 3D printing technology, once deemed distant.”
The interior of the 3D printed house
Making Guatemala’s First 3D Printed House
The initiative consisted in the construction of a house with 3D printed walls reaching a height of 3 meters, about 9 feet. Additionally, the total fabrication of the structure was completed in a period of 7 days with a total printing time of only 26 hours. The use of 3D printing has allowed the creation of walls with highly organic designs, which would have been costly or even unfeasible using concrete blocks, which is the main material in this geographical area. Plinio Estuardo Herrera, continues to explain, “Progreso’s enduring spirit of innovation led us to explore new methods, culminating in a collaboratively designed building featuring a sustainable “rancho” roof, ensuring natural cooling in seismic regions. This achievement, a testament to our teamwork, harmoniously blends advanced technology with local traditions, thanks to the unwavering support of 3DCP Group and COBOD.”
In addition, the project has made significant progress in validating the structural feasibility of 3D printing technology in an earthquake-prone region. The project represents Guatemala’s introduction into the global arena of advanced construction techniques and has been achieved through a collaboration with Denmark’s 3DCP group, recognized for its contributions in 3D printing, including the construction of the first school in Ukraine as part of the country’s reconstruction efforts. This first home in Guatemala will not be the only one built in collaboration between the partners.
The construction of the house took only 26 hours in total.
Philip Lund-Nielsen, co-founder and Americas head of COBOD, praised the achievement, adding, “The completion of Guatemala’s first 3D printed house living up to all seismic requirements marks a significant milestone for construction 3D printing in Latin America.” And he is not wrong. In fact, we expect new and interesting construction projects to take place in all areas of Latin America. This would highlight the usefulness of such a technology in regions with high risk of seismic activity. You can find out more in COBOD’s press release HERE.
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*All Photo Credits: Progreso / COBOD
