To help meet growing housing needs in Africa, 14Trees, a JV between British International Investment
and Holcim, has confirmed the development of 52 3D printed homes in Kenya under the Mvule Gardens
project. Production began in October last year, with the first phase being completed with the walls of 10
homes being printed at Kilifi. The production of the structures will require ten weeks in total, with just a
single 3D printer. The homes vary between 56-76 m2 with regard to their size, with 2-3 bedrooms in each
unit.
3D printing technologies are being used from COBOD by 14Trees with BOD2 solutions being leveraged
by the JV. 3D printing, according to the CEO at 14Trees, Francois Perrot, enables swifter development
along with better efficiency in terms of costs, thereby making affordable housing possible for the masses.
Lower materials are also required, which conserves resources for future generations, according to Perrot.
3D printing for construction may lower CO2 emissions by up to 70% as per 14Trees in comparison to
regular construction techniques.
The Mvule Gardens project has already received the EDGE Advanced certification for sustainable design
from IFC, the development finance institution at the World Bank. It is the very first time that this
certification has been awarded to any 3D printed project. For pricing, 14Trees has stated that future
projects will have greater innovation for lowering costs further. The JV is targeting up to 20% of savings
on construction costs with this project. Home prices currently start from 3,610,000 Kenyan Shillings,
equating to roughly €26,795. The company is starting another phase of construction for 10-15 more
housing units.