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Bettesworth Construction
3D-printed construction

How the Lewis Grand Hotel Suite Was 3D Printed from Sand and Volcanic Ash

A 2015 report described a Lewis Grand Hotel suite in the Philippines built with a 3D-printable mix of local sand and volcanic ash. Here are the project’s reported details—and what they do not prove.

By Bettesworth Construction Team 3 min read
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A suite extension at the Lewis Grand Hotel in Angeles City, Philippines, was described in 2015 coverage as being built with a 3D printer using a mix of local sand and volcanic ash. The project was not a whole hotel printed in one piece: the reported suite included two bedrooms, a living room and a spa with a 3D-printed Jacuzzi.

What was 3D printed at the Lewis Grand Hotel?

For Construction Pros reported on September 10, 2015, that the project was a suite at the Lewis Grand Hotel in Angeles City, Pampanga. It described two bedrooms, a living room and a spa featuring a 3D-printed Jacuzzi. The report said the suite was intended to meet engineering standards for commercial operation once complete; that statement does not establish whether the suite operates or is bookable today. For Construction Pros’ 2015 account

Contemporary coverage sometimes called it the “world’s first” 3D-printed hotel. That is a claim used in the coverage, not an independently established superlative. The more precise description is a 3D-printed hotel suite or suite extension.

How could sand and volcanic ash be printed?

The reported printable material used local sand and volcanic ash. In a 2015 interview with 3DPrint.com, printer designer Andrey Rudenko said the mix was difficult to extrude, but that a reliable process had been developed. He described the resulting walls as strong, with good bonding between layers; this is his account, not independent test data. Read the 3DPrint.com interview

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“We have sand with volcanic ash here in the Philippines, which is difficult to extrude, but a reliable process was developed and we obtained great results with pretty strong walls and good bonding between layers.”

— Andrey Rudenko, printer designer, in a 2015 interview with 3DPrint.com

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The available reporting does not provide a reproducible material recipe, proportions, full engineering specification or structural test results. “Printed from sand and volcanic ash” therefore describes the reported ingredients, not a complete construction specification or a claim that the suite consists only of those materials.

How long did the printing take?

For Construction Pros reported that the work took more than 100 hours. That figure included pauses and manual work to install plumbing, wiring and reinforcing bars, so it should not be read as more than 100 hours of uninterrupted printer operation. The printer itself took two months to develop, according to the same report—a separate period from the time reported for the suite. For Construction Pros’ project report

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What do the reported dimensions and savings mean?

A 2019 review article gives the structure’s dimensions as 12.5 × 10.5 × 3 meters and repeats a claim of a 60% reduction in building cost. Both figures come from that secondary source; the available sources do not provide project accounts or an independent comparison that verifies the savings. Treat the cost reduction as a reported claim, not an audited result. 2019 review article in the Journal of Engineering and Sustainable Development

Is this the same project as El Cosmico in Texas?

No. The Lewis Grand Hotel suite is the Philippines project covered in 2015. El Cosmico is a separate development in Marfa, Texas. ICON announced in 2024 that construction was underway on a 3D-printed hotel and development there, designed with BIG. A 2023 announcement had described plans to relocate and expand El Cosmico. Those announcements concern the Texas project and do not establish the current status of the Philippines suite.

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What is known about the suite today?

The cited coverage describes the project and its intended commercial operation, but it does not establish the suite’s present operating or booking status. It also does not provide a complete mix design or independently verified construction-cost savings. Those limits matter when interpreting claims about the project: the reporting documents an ambitious printed suite, but it is not a full technical record or a current hotel listing.

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