Here’s the First Sustainable House Built Entirely With a 3D Printer

With a name seemingly inspired by one of the most popular green automakers in the world, TECLA is the first sustainable 3D-printed home ever to be built. It is the result of a team effort designed and assembled by Italian 3D-printing company WASP and architectural firm Mario Cucinella Architects.

TECLA is located in Italy, outside of Bologna, and is made entirely of local raw and recyclable earth materials. The latter are also adaptable to any climate context, and they ensure a construction process free of any form of waste. As a result, the house has almost a zero footprint and is a pioneer in terms of low-carbon constructions.

The house required two printer arms that worked together at the same time, in a synchronized manner, to avoid any collisions.

With a printing capacity of 50 square meters (538 square ft) per printer, building such a house is a few days’ work. In the case of TECLA, 200 hours of printing were necessary. Approximately 60 cubic meters of reusable, carbon-neutral materials were used in the process.

TECLA has a double dome design which made it possible to eliminate the need for support structures. It measures around 60 square meters (646 square ft) and is more spacious than you would imagine at first sight. It has an open living room with the kitchen included, a bedroom that also includes a bathroom, and storage space.

The central skylights offer plenty of natural light and a great night view for star-gazers. The furniture inside was also 3D-printed and made of the same local materials.

In a world with an ever-growing population, TECLA aims to be an example of green habitat that’s easy and fast to build and requires only materials that can be found at the construction site.

WASP and Mario Cucinella Architects started the TECLA project in September 2019. We are yet to receive details on their future plans regarding the 3D-printed eco-home.