Holcim building 3D-printed settlement

Holcim is seeking to realize the largest 3D-printed housing complex in Africa with its joint venture 14Trees and the CDC Group, a UK development finance institution. The 52-house Mvule Gardens complex is intended to offer affordable housing in the Kenyan coastal town of Kilifi. The plans have now been announced by the construction materials manufacturer as part of a press release. The project forms part of the Green Heart of Kenya regenerative ecosystem, which offers a model for integrative and climate-resistant cities. Construction work on the project is scheduled to begin at the start of 2022.

The project will build upon the first 3D-printed school realized by Holcim in Malawi and is designed to bridge an acute infrastructure gap. “14Trees 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”, explains Tenbite Ermias, Managing Director of CDC Africa, in the press release.

Holcim’s joint venture 14Trees has set itself the goal of solving the shortage of affordable housing in Africa by leveraging the benefits of 3D printing and smart design, while at the same time creating skilled jobs for the local community. As has been proven in Malawi, this technology can reduce the ecological footprint of a house by more than 50 percent in comparison with conventional methods, Holcim writes in the press release. Accordingly, it was awarded the EDGE certification for resource-efficient buildings.

The MASS Design Group, an architect’s office based in the USA and Africa, came up with the design for the Mvule Gardens project. It is intended to create affordable, sustainable and replicable housing units that are adapted to the Kenyan environment.