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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsThe Wavehouse, a commercial data center in Heidelberg, Germany, was reported to take about 140 hours of printer work—not 140 hours to complete and fit out the entire building. Heidelberg Materials reported roughly 140 printing hours, while PERI’s later project account lists 170 hours of “pure printing time.” The sources do not explain the difference.
What the Wavehouse is—and what was printed
The Wavehouse is a data-center building developed in Heidelberg. Its approximate dimensions are 54 metres long, 11 metres wide and 9 metres high, according to Heidelberg Materials and PERI. The project used a COBOD BOD2 construction printer and i.tech 3D specialty mortar supplied by Heidelberg Materials.
The printer produced the building’s outer walls and partitions. That does not mean every structural element was printed: SWR reported that conventional concrete was used between some parallel printed walls and that a worker placed anchors. The Wavehouse combined printed components with conventional construction work.
Why sources give two printing-time figures
| Source | Reported time | What the figure describes |
|---|---|---|
| Heidelberg Materials, 26 April 2023 | About 140 hours | The company said the last printing layer was applied after around 140 hours of printing. |
| PERI 3D Construction, project account | 170 hours | PERI labels this “Pure printing time.” |
SWR’s 20 July 2023 report makes the key distinction: the 140 hours referred to the printer’s work, not the complete construction process. The sources do not state why the 140- and 170-hour figures differ, so there is no basis for choosing one as the definitive total.
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How the printing operation was organized
PERI says the long building was printed in three sections, with the COBOD BOD2 repositioned twice on site. The process was therefore a sequence of printer setups and wall-printing operations, not a single uninterrupted run that delivered a finished, occupied data center.
The curved, wave-like facade illustrates how construction printing and parametric design can produce geometry that would be more involved to form with conventional methods. That design feature is not evidence that the entire building—or all of its structural work—was printed.
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What the sustainability and material figures do—and do not—show
Heidelberg Materials said it supplied around 450 tonnes of i.tech 3D for the project. The company describes the specialty material as fully recyclable and says its binder has a carbon footprint around 55% lower than classic Portland cement. These are supplier claims about the material and binder, not an independent assessment of the Wavehouse’s full lifecycle emissions.
The same supplier says that, with appropriate design planning, 3D printing can use up to 70% less material than conventional construction methods. That is a general process claim, not a measured saving established for this building. The project sources do not provide an independent, controlled comparison of total material use, cost, labor or full-build duration against an equivalent conventionally built data center.
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When comparing 3D-printed buildings, compare like with like
Printing hours alone are not a fair measure of how quickly a building is delivered. For a useful comparison, check the same scope and project details on both sides:
- Time measure: distinguish pure printer hours from total elapsed construction time and fit-out.
- Printed scope: identify whether the walls, partitions, structural elements or other components were printed, and what was built conventionally.
- Building and process: compare dimensions, intended use, material, design complexity, printer setup and work performed after printing.
The Wavehouse tenant, Heidelberg IT, moved in January 2024, according to PERI. That later occupancy is a reminder that printer time and readiness for use are separate milestones.
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