The Way of Building in the Future – First Printed House with KEUCO IXMO Fittings and Accessories

Building a house brick by brick belongs to the past; today it is a case of layer upon layer. In Beckum in Münsterland, the first house in Germany has been built using the 3D concrete printing process.

The result of the first project of this type is a house with an organic, soft design – the furnishings minimalistic, high-quality and modern. The house consists of triple-shelled walls that are filled with insulating mass. With the help of a giant 3D printer, the concrete mass was applied layer by layer. And within only a few months, a single-family house with 160 m² of living space was created.

Nothing was to be missing from the house with its furnishings; the aim was to emphasise the high-quality and special style of the building. The concrete layers were to remain visible inside and out – reduced, clean and yet expressive in its style. This claim runs consistently through all rooms of the house. The bathrooms are equipped with KEUCO IXMO fittings in the shower and on the bathtub. The minimalistic fitting elements blend into the futuristic image, restrained yet strong in design. The shiny chrome finish, reflect a brilliant contrast to the dark tiles in the shower.

Aligning with the principle of the house “without corners and edges”, round cover plates were chosen for the fittings. The accessories at the washbasin and WC also fulfil the credo of the design concept: EDITION 400 with its round form language is filigree and the accessories are high-quality eye-catchers. They enhance the bathroom with their understatement.

What once started as a pilot project could influence building in the future and also offer installation and plumbing companies with completely new challenges.

The installation and plumbing professionals Leifhelm & Pelkmann GmbH were involved in the process much earlier than usual. BIM data was used to determine where the printer should leave cut-outs for pipes and connections for water, electricity and building services. KEUCO offers BIM data for numerous products relating to high-quality bathroom fittings.

It was possible to start work during printing, such as laying empty pipes. So actually, work which is normally carried out at a later stage took place parallel and saved time.

Another big advantage of building the 3D printed home: it is more ecological than the conventional construction method, as less material is used in general. It is no longer necessary to put different building materials into one wall element on the construction site. This means an enormous time-saving and streamlining of the individual construction processes. Even complex work, such as having round-shaped parts in the building, can be implemented in a simplified way.

The client of the first residential building using the concrete printing process in Germany was “Hous3Druck UG”. Planning was realized by the architecture and engineering office Mense-Korte. The internationally active manufacturer and supplier of formwork and scaffolding systems Peri made printing using special pressure mortar possible.

The 3D print house in Beckum is a promising project for the future – still a rarity in Germany – a project which KEUCO, among others was allowed to be involved in.

The first house to be built in Germany using a 3D concrete printing process stands in the middle of a housing estate in Beckum, Westphalia.

The special structure brought about by the printing process can be seen on the exterior facade and in the interiors.

Even demanding shapes and round-offs can be realised by the printing process.

The materials and fittings of the bathrooms were chosen to match the special wall texture. “Without corners and edges”, the EDITION 400 accessories from KEUCO perfectly fit to the motto, as does the KEUCO IXMO bath mixer with round cover plates.

In addition to numerous accessories for the toilet and washbasin area, the EDITION 400 range also includes many hooks and towel rails. The accessories are very filigree in design and nicely round-off the bathroom design in a discrete and elegant way.

The IXMO fittings in the shower are not only outstanding in terms of design, but also from a technical point of view: the water quantity and temperature are regulated via the single-lever mixer. The shower holder integrates a diverter, where you can choose between a large overhead shower and a hand shower.

Two in one: The KEUCO free-standing accessory for the toilet area is the flexible solution for a toilet paper holder and toilet brush set. Thanks to the large base plate, it is particularly stable.