Colorado: First 3D-Printed Homes with Fire-Resistant Concrete Walls Completed

Picture: COBOD

In Buena Vista, Colorado, two residential homes have been built for the first time using a large-format 3D construction printer. Construction company VeroTouch employed the BOD2 printer from Danish manufacturer COBOD. Each house offers around 102 square meters (1,100 square feet) of living space and was printed with A1-classified concrete. This material is considered non-combustible, offering a decisive advantage in a state where nearly half the population lives in areas at elevated risk of wildfires.

The shell of the second house was completed within just 16 days, highlighting the significantly shorter construction time compared to conventional methods. The 3D printer follows a predefined path, depositing layer upon layer of concrete. This reduces the need for manual labor while ensuring high precision. The two buildings, named VeroVistas, also showcase the design flexibility of this construction method: one house retained the visible layered texture of the print process, while the other was finished with a smooth plaster surface.

“In an era of fast housing, VeroTouch is creating legacy homes that can be passed down, rather than torn down,” said Grant Hamel, VeroTouch’s Chief Executive Officer. “Beyond merely great design, we’re proud that VeroVistas homes offer a level of resilience to natural disasters like wildfires unmatched by any other product in this region. Because of that, we expect these homes to be standing strong 100 years from now.”

The approach not only allows shorter project timelines but also delivers higher resilience compared to conventional wood-frame construction. The selling price of about $625,000 is in line with average housing prices in Colorado’s mountain regions.

The project received support from a $680,000 grant through the state’s Innovative Housing Incentive Program. At the unveiling, Governor Jared Polis emphasized that new construction methods like 3D printing are necessary to meet the growing demand for housing in Colorado.

“We are proud to accelerate innovation in housing to better address Colorado’s housing needs,” said Governor Jared Polis. “The unveiling of these 3D printed homes is a great example of how we can support new building methods to create more housing now.”

Eve Liebmann, Executive Director of Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), added: “We commend VeroTouch for helping increase the supply of housing, which will allow more Coloradans to live in the communities they love.”

VeroTouch is already planning a follow-up project: a neighborhood of 32 printed homes in Salida. This could establish the technology as a permanent fixture in Colorado’s construction sector.

Philip Lund-Nielsen, Co-founder and Head of Americas at COBOD International, concluded: “3D construction printing provides a safer, more efficient, and sustainable way to build. Colorado investing in broader application of 3D construction printing shows that this scalable method can help address the housing crisis, not only in Colorado, but across the U.S.”