Denmark Completes 3D Printed Student Village With Cement-Free Elements

A new student village in Holstebro, Denmark, contains 36 homes created with large-scale 3D printing. SAGA Space Architects and MS+ designed Skovsporet, while 3DCP Group led the construction. The project shows how architects and builders can apply additive manufacturing to residential construction on a larger scale.

A Low-Rise Community

Skovsporet stands close to VIA University College and covers 1,650 square metres. Six clusters contain six ground-floor apartments each. Shared courtyards, gardens, paths and bicycle parking connect the buildings. As a result, the layout combines private living with spaces that encourage social contact.

The team also adapted the building process to the existing landscape. They placed the print beds between trees and preserved 90% of the trees on the site. In total, construction took 12 months.

Each apartment measures between 39 and 50 square metres. The compact homes include a kitchen, study area, lounge, bathroom and sleeping space. In addition, roof windows and sloping ceilings bring daylight deep into the interiors. Cork panels, glass and timber roof structures add warmth to the visible layers of printed concrete.

Lower-Carbon Printed Concrete

A COBOD BOD3 printer produced the structural elements directly on site. For most of these elements, the team used D.fab concrete containing FUTURECEM. Aalborg Portland developed this cement to lower the concrete’s carbon footprint.

Furthermore, Skovsporet includes cement-free printed elements made with MEVOcem. 3DCP Group developed the material with support from Innovation Fund Denmark. According to the project team, the mixture contains no cement and cuts carbon dioxide emissions by 84% compared with traditional concrete. The builders used these elements in the bicycle shed.

Although the homes do not yet use the cement-free material, the bicycle shed provides a practical test at building scale. Therefore, the project demonstrates how alternative binders could gradually replace conventional cement in suitable applications.

Taking 3D Printing Beyond Prototypes

The team printed structures for six separate building clusters instead of producing a single prototype. Consequently, the process required consistent accuracy, faster production and close coordination with conventional windows, roofs and other building systems.

Moreover, the partners completed Skovsporet within Denmark’s strict rules and budget limits for subsidised housing. The finished development suggests that 3D concrete printing can meet the practical and economic demands of real residential projects.

The first students will move into the apartments in September 2026. Meanwhile, SAGA Space Architects and 3DCP Group continue to research new material combinations and production methods for future 3D-printed buildings.

Source & photos: SAGA Space Architects