Portuguese construction 3D printing company Havelar has delivered a public building for the municipality of Matosinhos using construction 3D printing technology from COBOD.
The project, a 500 m² (5,400 ft²) recycling centre office at the Ecocentro de Perafita in Porto, was printed in nine days on budget using a COBOD BOD2 construction 3D printer operated by a four-person crew.
This public building is the latest in a now 32-strong portfolio of buildings constructed by Havelar with 3D printing in Porto. More than 50 more are scheduled for 2026.
The structure incorporates curved walls throughout, a feature that would add significant cost with conventional formwork, but that construction 3D printing produces directly from the digital model at no additional labour or material cost.
"The main advantage is time. In construction terms, it is a third: a third of the time, a third of the materials, and a third of the people. Here, it is not just about the recycling aspect; it is also that we had a team of only four people to construct a building like this," said José Maria Ferreira, Founder and CEO at Havelar (paraphrased from Portuguese).
Bárbara Rangel, Researcher at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto, added: "With 3D construction printing, trades can work in parallel; there is no waiting for walls or slabs to dry before the electrician, tiler, or carpenter comes in. The curved walls on the exterior also serve a structural purpose, and through the shade they generate, we are able to enhance solar gains through the interplay between shade and sun exposure." (paraphrased from Portuguese)
"Havelar delivered a public building on budget with a four-person crew and beat the conventional construction timeline. Construction 3D printing isn't an alternative method anymore. For projects like this, it's clearly the superior option," offered Philip Lund-Nielsen, Co-founder & CCO of COBOD International.
The partners say that this project adds to a 'growing body of evidence' that construction 3D printing is capable of 'delivering public buildings faster, at comparable or lower cost, and with greater design freedom than traditional methods.'
