A nearly 30-meter-tall building called Tor Alva, which means "White Tower" in Romansh, now stands as the world's tallest 3D-printed building in Mulegns, a village of just 11 residents, reported Reuters.
Instead of traditional concrete formwork that creates tons of waste, industrial robots applied concrete layer by layer to create 32 sculptured columns that rise over four stories. The design resembles an ornate layered cake, a nod to the history of confectioners who once exported their skills across Europe.
The tower can be dismantled and rebuilt elsewhere. Each piece bolts together like building blocks, eliminating the permanent waste typically associated with construction projects.
For everyday people, this technology promises homes that cost less to build and create far less environmental impact. The 3D-printing process uses specially developed concrete that hardens quickly while maintaining delicate structural details, potentially making custom home designs more affordable and accessible.
Two robots worked together to make this building possible. One applied concrete while the other placed reinforcement rings every 20 centimeters. This "reinforcement that grows" technique allows 3D-printed concrete to bear structural loads, opening doors for neighborhoods built with this cleaner technology.
This building method reduces the pollution typically generated during construction by eliminating traditional formwork and reducing material waste. Communities could see cleaner air and less construction debris disrupting their daily lives.
"I was fascinated by the interplay between digital design, traditional craftsmanship, cultural memory and artistic form," Giovanni Netzer, the Origen cultural foundation's theatre director and founder, told ETH Zurich about Tor Alva. "The White Tower is more than a technical triumph — it inspires the building sector, encourages sustainable tourism and offers new cultural space."
This kind of innovation can make sustainable, low-carbon footprint living more accessible.
You don't have to live in a 3D-printed home to slash your carbon output. Installing solar panels is the ultimate home energy hack because it can bring your energy costs down to $0. EnergySage's free services make comparing quotes from vetted local installers easy and can save you up to $10,000 on solar installation.
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