3D-printed houses have sprung up all over the world, and has now even reached places like Borneo.
Borneo is known for its orangutans and other wildlife. It is one of the most biodiverse places on earth, with more than estimated 15,000 plant species primarily found in the rainforests, which makes up the majority of the island.
But now even Borneo has its first 3D printed house. On the northern coast of Borneo, which is more urbanised than the rainforest-covered centre, the large concrete pre-casting company Sarawak Consolidated Industries Berhad (SCIB) recently revealed its first 3D-printed demo house in Sarawak.
The house, consisting of a built area of 90sq m, had a total printing time of 46 hours, and was 3D printed using the BOD2 3D construction printer from Danish-based Cobod International.
The total length of the print was more than 9km, extruded layer by layer on top of each other in a total of 145 layers, each of 2cm in height.
The SCIB team chose to plaster the outside walls of the house, which is normal practice in the region due to high humidity weather conditions. Also, plastering makes it easy to wash and clean green algae off the walls, which occurs due to the climate conditions.
Cobod International’s printers have proven their worth around the globe, from India, the Middle East, Africa and Europe, to North America, where its 3D printers recently were used in two story buildings in Texas and Ontario.
Cobod Asia-Pacific head Simon Klint Bergh says when Cobod was created, the company never envisaged it would have a market in a place like Borneo.
“The fact that our technology is now applied there shows that the market for our technology is endless. When we can sell our printers in Borneo, we can sell them anywhere,” he says.
The new 3D printed house in Borneo is located on the premises of the Malaysian Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), which is the permitting body in Malaysia.
The site houses the premises of the CIDB’s training arm, Malaysian Construction Academy (ABM) in Kuching, Sarawak, and was built in collaboration with the agency.
SCIB chief executive officer and group managing director Rosland Othman, says the use of technology such as 3D printing comes at a time when businesses are being scrutinised for the impact of their operations on the environment and society.
“Businesses have an important role in society and an important part is to operate responsibly,” Othman says.
“We believe 3D construction printing can be part of this and, therefore, we are also involved in a programme with our university partner to develop and improve the skills and knowledge of the construction industry.”
Klint Bergh says Cobod International is proud to have SCIB as a customer, and to see them execute a first 3D building.
“SCIB is a very innovative company, and with our technology we are excited to see SCIB enable faster execution of construction projects, as well as more efficient construction at a lower cost. This will be the first of many 3D-printed houses to come in Asia- Pacific”.
About Cobod International
Cobod International’s mission is to disrupt the global construction industry through world-class multifunctional construction robots based on 3D printing systems.
Cobod International 3D printed Europe’s first building in 2017. Subsequently, the first 2- and 3-storey buildings in Europe, US, Canada, and India were made with Cobod’s technology.
Also, the first villa in Dubai and the first buildings in Africa have been produced by Cobod’s 3D construction printers, like the first wind turbine bases.
The company has an open-source strategy, partnering with customers, academic institutions, and suppliers around the world.
Cobod’s headquarters are in Denmark, with regional offices and competence centres in Miami, US and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Watch how it works: YouTube: First 3D printed house in Borneo
