Making a good impression

The first Portuguese public works project executed using 3D printing is being built at the Perafita Ecocentre.

3D printing applied to construction is beginning to establish itself consistently in Portugal, now reaching the public works sector. At the Perafita Ecocentre in Matosinhos, the country's first public works project using this technology is underway, as part of a tender launched by the local authority. The contract is being carried out by Portuguese company Havelar, a startup based in Vila do Conde, dedicated to 3D printing construction.

The building, with approximately 500 m², is being constructed in an unusually short timeframe by traditional construction standards. The execution of the main structure will take place over one week, with completion of the works scheduled for a five-month period. The total investment amounts to around 800 thousand euros. The new facility will house the ReCircular project, an initiative focused on the recycling and reuse of electronic waste, framed within a circular economy logic and with a strong social component, namely through the creation of jobs for people with disabilities in the region. Broad and cross-cutting sustainability.

The application of 3D printing technology to construction enables the automated production of structural elements through the successive deposition of materials, doing so from previously defined digital models. In Havelar's case, internationally recognised benchmark printing solutions are used, developed in partnership with the Danish company COBOD. This approach ultimately translates into greater construction precision, significant reduction in execution times and decreased associated costs, compared to traditional construction methods.

From an environmental standpoint, 3D printing presents notable benefits. Besides concrete, it is possible to integrate alternative materials such as clays and earth, thereby contributing to the reduction of the carbon footprint associated with the intensive use of conventional cement. The automation of the construction process also enables a reduction in the number of workers needed on site, which results in lower exposure to the risk of workplace accidents and greater overall efficiency of the works.

Havelar has been establishing itself as one of the pioneering companies in this field in Portugal. In 2024, it was responsible for the construction of the country's first house using 3D printing, whose structure was executed in just 18 hours; a project already covered by A@W. The experience gained from that project served as the basis for applying the technology to this building, implementing it on a larger scale and in a public context, paving the way for its potential future use in collective facilities, public housing and other infrastructures.

In this context marked by the housing crisis, resource scarcity and the need for more sustainable construction solutions, 3D printing emerges as an alternative with the potential to respond more quickly, economically and flexibly to the needs of local authorities and populations. The Perafita Ecocentre project constitutes a relevant case study on the integration of this new technology in public construction and on the necessary and ongoing transformation in the construction sector in Portugal.