The project: KIEM
In the rest of the world, 3D-printing is already on the rise. Lots of possibilities are already being executed, as for example the printing of temporary housing specific building components and even complete apartments. With the C3PO project: “Co-Creation: 3D-printing with enterprises” the province of Antwerp wants to speed up this innovative technology in Flanders in cooperation with Kamp C. In 2020, the project partners printed the first dwelling with a fixed printer. The KIEM project, “Knowledge sharing - Inspiration -Elimination barriers - Market introduction”, aims at an accelerated introduction of the technique of 3D concrete printing in the construction sector.
The goal of the 3D concrete printing project KIEM is:
- (K) Knowledge sharing of the experiences gained during the C3PO project through master classes, a concrete exhibition, digital teaching materials, train-the-trainer sessions and embedding the technology in Thomas More's curricula.
- (I) Inspiration through co-creation: Through the competition www.kampcdaagtuit.be we will co-create together with companies, schools and architects. By printing everything that has been thought up, we show the world what is possible and we give (potential) entrepreneurs ideas. As a result, new talent and high potentials will find their way to the Kempen. With existing (international) initiatives (start-ups) that are already active in the field of 3D concrete printing in order to inject new knowledge into the Kempen. Cross-sectoral, we will combine (among other things) the creative sector with the construction sector in order to generate new ideas and allow them to flow to the market.
- (E) Elimination of barriers: Addressing the current barriers of the technology. Consider: the discrepancy between the applicable drawing technique and the slicing software. But research is also being done into what is holding back the market from investing in this new technology.
- (M) Market introduction: Valorising the technology by drawing up a business plan, with the ultimate aim of preparing a spin-off. In this new phase, we want to further expand the function as a living lab and innovative hub of the Kempen by opening up the infrastructure for various purposes, ie we are developing an ecosystem around the 'exploitation' of the concrete printer and connecting organizations and entrepreneurs in different ways to the technology and operation.
The construction sector is often linked to dirty, unattractive jobs that require a lot of physical effort from the employee. And it may be like that with the traditional building methods, which also proceed very slowly. But now, also the construction sector is changing and evoluating to a hightech environment: a 3D-printer integrates a very modern production technique in the building process. In the whole world, 3D-printing in construction is on the rise very strongly but not in Flanders, it needs to get going even more . The C3PO project wants to change this and wants to integrate 3D-printing in the Flanders construction world in an accelerated manner. Moreover, Kamp C has succeeded in this by printing a demo house with a 3D concrete printer. The house was built in 1 piece, unique on a world scale. C3PO will be continued in the KIEM project, which aims to accelerate the introduction of 3D concrete printing technology in the construction sector.
Project partners
Thomas More, Vicre, Weber, Beneens, Etib / Concrete House and Trias Architects are project partners in the KIEM project. The project will run from 1/09/2020 to 31/08/2022 and is subsidized by the ERDF program. The project budget amounts to EUR 807,750, of which the European funding amounts to EUR 323,100. The provincial funding: (through Kamp C's own contribution) amounts to EUR 231,000.
Press release: World first: Kamp C is the first to print a complete house in one piece
