3D printing hasn’t quite reached science fiction territory yet; he can’t create an entire building from nothing in an instant. However, 3D printing-based construction is a very real practice and has already given rise to many giant things that you may not have known could be 3D printed. In Bezannes, France, an entire 3-story building was built in just 34 days using the power of 3D printing in 2025. That’s not as fast as when Europe’s largest 3D printed building was constructed, but it’s still impressive nonetheless.
This apartment project, named ViliaSprint2was developed by Plurial Novilia, designed by HOBO Architecture and built by PERI 3D Construction. With the help of a COBOD BOD2 3D printer, PERI assembled the entire building in just over a month, which is incredible in itself, but also faster than the original estimate of 50 days for completion. Compared to the several months it would normally take to complete such a building, ViliaSprint2 is ready to use, equipped with a central heat pump system and using organic and geosourced materials.
Efficiency gains thanks to 3D printing
The ViliaSprint of 12 units on 3 floors2 The building is approximately 36 feet wide, 111 feet long and 29 feet high, with each floor providing 3,767 square feet of space available for tenants. The building was constructed using 3D printed concrete, specially formulated by Holcim Lafarge. This material has strong load-bearing properties as well as natural fire resistance, with the weight of the building being safely supported by its walls, a first for the 3D printing construction industry.
The success of this project went a long way in proving the viability and effectiveness of 3D printing in the construction sector. Only three workers were needed on site, able to control the 3D printing equipment with a tablet interface instead of doing the heavy lifting themselves. Additionally, thanks to its 3D printed concrete composition, the process involves only 5% wasted materials compared to the more typical 10%. 3D printing also allowed less concrete to be used to create the building’s rounded geometry, a significant advantage over traditional buildings.
To drive home the efficiency point, Plurial Novilia built a second, similar apartment building right next to the 3D printed complex using traditional methods. It took about three months, three times as long as the 3D printed structure, requiring more labor. The developer is already aiming to put more 3D printed buildings on the books, with subsequent projects expected to use two printers at once to speed things up even further.
