The largest 3D-printed affordable climate-smart housing project in Africa is to be built in Kenya.

Swiss building-material manufacturer Holcim says the Mvule Gardens project will form part of the Green Heart of Kenya, an inclusive climate-resilient ‘master-planned’ community near the coastal town of Kilifi.

Construction of the 52-unit housing complex is scheduled to start in early 2022, with the first phase to be completed within six months. The development is reportedly one of the largest 3D-printed affordable housing projects in the world.

According to Holcim, the project was designed to advance ‘affordable, sustainable and replicable housing units adapted to Kenya’s environment’. The project design features a timber roof instead of steel in an effort to lower carbon emissions, as well as no reinforced concrete or steel frames.

The project will be executed by 14Trees, a joint venture between Holcim and UK development finance institution the CDC Group.

14 December 2021
Image: Gallo/Getty Images