Kerala’s first 3D-printed building to be inaugurated in Thiruvananthapuram on October 10

Kerala's first 3D-printed building, AMAZE-28, is set to be inaugurated on October 10. It is a 380 sq ft, one-room summer house built in 28 days. It was constructed using a patented concrete mix and a robotic arm guided by a 3D digital model. It cost ₹11 lakh and can be completed in 2-2.5 months. Enquiries have been received from VSSC and KIIFB. Revenue Minister K. Rajan will inaugurate the building.

If things go as planned, 3D-printed buildings could turn out to be the next big thing in Kerala’s construction sector.

Kerala’s first 3D-printed building, a 380 sq ft, one-room summer house, is all set for a formal inauguration on October 10 on the Kerala State Nirmithi Kendra (Kesnik) campus at PTP Nagar in Thiruvananthapuram.

Designed as a demonstration project, AMAZE-28 – as the summer house is named – was completed in 28 days. The project was carried out by Tvasta, a Chennai-based construction tech start-up launched by IIT-Madras alumni, with which Kesnik has inked an memorandum of understanding (MoU).

AMAZE-28 stands on a concrete platform on a small mound on the Kesnik campus. Kesnik director and chief executive officer Febi Varghese said it was the first 3D-printed building in Kerala.

For its 3D-printing constructions, Tvasta used a patented concrete mix as the construction material. It is deposited layer by layer using a robotic arm which has a nozzle at its tip. The arm is guided by a three-dimensional digital model of the building. “The advantage of 3D-printing technology is that it saves time. Wastage is close to nil. You are not bound by design limitations and the scope for creativity is higher,” said Praveen Nair, partner, Tvasta.

The demo project cost ₹11 lakh to build. The roof of the structure uses conventional building technology.

Using this technology, a 1,500-1,600 sq ft home can be completed – right from the foundation to handing over of the key – in about two to two-and-a-half months, he said.