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The largest 3D-printed residential building in Europe was completed in France with 12 social housing apartments. The project took only 34 days to print and aims for lower costs, less concrete, and more energy efficiency.
France has just gained what the developers call the largest 3D-printed residential building in Europe. Named ViliaSprint², the building was completed with 12 social housing apartments distributed over three floors, and the printing phase was completed in just 34 days.
The project is noteworthy not only for the record but also for the pace. The process was planned to last 50 days and finished well ahead of schedule. In total, the construction was completed three months earlier than a neighboring building constructed with traditional techniques.
The building was developed by Plurial Novilia, with a design by HOBO Architecture and printing done by PERI 3D Construction, using a COBOD BOD2 printer.
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On-site printing and entire structure made in 34 days
One of the most relevant points of ViliaSprint² is that, according to the manufacturer COBOD, it would be the first building in France where both the load-bearing structure and all walls were printed directly on-site. The printer applied a cement-like mixture in layers, forming the building’s main shell.
Three human operators monitored the printing work. After this phase, the construction continued with more conventional processes, such as installing the roof, windows, and electrical wiring. This phase began in March 2025 and was completed at the beginning of 2026.
The building occupies 800 m² and each apartment has a balcony
The building has 800 m² of usable area, distributed over the three floors. There are 12 social housing units, and each apartment has its own balcony area.
The complex was built next to another similar building by the same developer, but constructed using traditional techniques. This comparison ended up highlighting the time difference between the two models and placed 3D printing at the center of the race for faster construction.
Less concrete, less transportation, and more energy efficiency
The project’s bet is not only on speed. COBOD claims that the curved facade and rounded floor plan only became economically viable with 3D printing, as more complex geometries usually increase the cost of conventional constructions.
The project also reportedly reduced the volume of concrete used by about 10%. Additionally, producing the material on-site helps cut emissions related to transportation. The building also includes insulation with perlite, wooden balcony structures, 500 m² of photovoltaic panels, and a hybrid gas and heat pump system from Atlantic Systèmes.
Next project already targets 40 apartments and two printers at the same time
The ViliaSprint² was designed to meet the requirements of RE2020 2025, the French environmental target for buildings. According to those responsible, the complex achieves about 60% energy self-sufficiency.
The group behind the project is already thinking about the next step: a larger project with approximately 40 apartments and two printers working simultaneously. The idea is to reduce the printing time by four times and bring the final cost closer to that of a conventional construction.
In practice, the French building has become an important test to show how far 3D printing can go in social housing. If the model advances, the technology may cease to be a showcase novelty and start to compete for real space in civil construction. If you follow innovation and architecture, it’s worth keeping an eye on this shift — and commenting on what you think about the idea of living in such a building.
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