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# High-Performance 3D-Printed Walls
Holcim And COBOD Deliver Its ViliaSprint² In France

By Adam Harrie | Written with AI assistance | Published 2026-05-04 | Art & Design
Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/holcim-and-cobod
References: [3dprinting](https://3dprinting.com/news/holcim-cobod-complete-europes-largest-residential-build-in-12-months/)

[Holcim](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/essential-homes) and [COBOD](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cobod) completed ViliaSprint², a three-storey, 12-unit social housing building in Bezannes, France, using on-site robotic concrete printing featuring Holcim’s TectorPrint mix. Plurial Novilia developed the 800-square-meter project, which used a COBOD gantry to deposit layered, fully load-bearing walls, with three operators managing the process via tablets.

Holcim’s [Innovation Center](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/crocs-the-roy-elephant) in Lyon formulated the concrete mix with synthetic macro-fibers to replace traditional reinforcement, achieving a 30% CO₂ reduction versus equivalent standard concrete and meeting France’s RE2020 2025 threshold. HOBO Architecture specified rounded forms that cut concrete use by about 10%, and wall printing finished in three months—twice as fast as a comparable conventional build on the same site.

For residents and builders, the project demonstrates faster delivery, lower embodied carbon and reduced on-site labor intensity, moving construction toward advanced manufacturing on site. Holcim and COBOD plan larger developments next, signaling a path for 3D printing to scale in social housing and sustainable construction.

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Fabio Pagani

## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter)

- Score: 7.7/10
- Popularity: 79% | Activity: 82% | Freshness: 71%
- Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women
- Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X
- Top markets: Europe

## Categories

[Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/design)

## Key Themes

### What Makes This Trend Stand Out

- **On-site Robotic Concrete Printing:** Demonstrates three-storey, unitized builds with gantry robots completing load-bearing walls twice as fast as comparable conventional methods.
- **Fiber-reinforced Printable Mixes:** Achieves reinforcement replacement with synthetic macro-fibers and a 30% CO₂ reduction versus equivalent standard concrete while meeting stricter energy regulations.
- **Form Optimization for Material Efficiency:** Rounded form designs reduce concrete volume by roughly 10%, indicating geometry-driven savings in material use and waste.

### Sectors Adopting This

- **Social Housing:** Exhibits potential for faster delivery and lower embodied carbon in affordable housing projects through modular, printed wall systems.
- **Commercial Construction:** Shows a pathway to scale multi-unit developments with reduced on-site labor intensity and shorter schedules using robotic printing.
- **Construction Materials and Admixtures:** Highlights demand for printable mixes and fiber additives tailored to replace steel reinforcement while meeting regulatory thresholds.

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