COBOD Powers Germany’s First Serial 3D Printed Housing Project

Heidelberg, Germany – COBOD International A/S’ 3D construction printing technology has enabled Germany’s first reference project for serial 3D printed housing construction, printed in Heidelberg by PERI 3D Construction GmbH. The ‘DREIHAUS’ (‘Three-house’) project demonstrates how 3D construction printing can deliver housing 30 percent faster and 10 percent more cost-effectively than conventional methods, while maintaining structural quality and reducing environmental impact.

• First reference project for serial 3D printed housing in Germany completed using COBOD technology
• 30 percent faster and around 10 percent more cost-effective than conventional construction according to PERI 3D Construction
• Walls printed in record time: one square meter in five minutes, largest building in only 26 working days
• Use of world’s first carbon-captured net-zero cement, evoZero®, reduces CO₂ emissions
• Project demonstrates scalable, standardized 3D printed housing model for the German market.

The DREIHAUS project delivers a total of 21 residential units, with living areas ranging from 46 m² (495 sqft) to 89 m² (958 sqft), constructed on-site in Heidelberg. The three building variants, S, M, and L, offer total living spaces of 348.54 m² (3,752 sqft), 425.10 m² (4,576 sqft), and 525.80 m² (5,660 sqft), respectively.

With COBOD’s technology, the walls of the apartment buildings are printed in record time by a team of only 2-3 people. The 3D printer follows digitally pre-programmed paths with millimeter precision, completing one square meter of wall in about five minutes. The printing of the largest apartment building was completed in 26 working days, demonstrating how automation and precision drastically shorten construction timelines.

The DREIHAUS concept is fully optimized for 3D construction printing. Each building is divided into two segments to enable parallel workflows, while one half is being printed, the concrete slab in the other is already being poured. This coordinated process shortens construction time by 30 percent compared to conventional methods. Designed for replication, the DREIHAUS model can be implemented by construction companies seeking to adopt 3D concrete printing, creating a new path toward efficient, serial construction directly on the building site.

In addition to speed and cost savings, the project sets new benchmarks for sustainability. For the first time in Germany, Heidelberg Materials’ evoZero®, the world’s first carbon-captured net-zero cement, will be used for one of the 3D printed buildings. Combined with COBOD’s precision printing technology, the result is a substantial reduction in concrete use and CO₂ emissions without compromising structural performance, according to PERI 3D Construction.

The DREIHAUS project was developed in collaboration between PERI 3D Construction, Korte-Hoffmann Gebäudedruck, Heidelberg Materials, and SSV Architekten.

“Efficiency is the defining advantage of 3D construction printing,” said Henrik Lund-Nielsen, Founder & General Manager, COBOD International. “By combining speed, precision, and automation, builders can finalize projects in shorter timelines, while reducing both cost and waste. DREIHAUS proves that standardized, digital, automated construction can meet housing demand quickly and sustainably.”

Dr Fabian Meyer-Brötz, Managing Director, PERI 3D Construction, underscored the project’s significance: “The 3D printer automatically follows the pre-planned paths and prints one square meter of wall in about five minutes. This is how the walls of the largest apartment building were constructed in just 26 working days. DREIHAUS combines everything we have learned in our 17 3D printing projects to date. It demonstrates both well-thought-out floor plans optimized for 3D printing and the efficient integration of printing into the entire construction process.”

Christian Schwörer, CEO, PERI Group, added, “With the DREIHAUS project, we are demonstrating how residential buildings can be constructed faster, more efficiently, and to a high standard of quality. For PERI, DREIHAUS is not just another project step, but a symbolic milestone: it shows that serial 3D housing construction in the German market is not just a vision for the future, but can be implemented immediately.” 

Image Source: COBOD International