Australia's first two-storey printed home took 18 hours of printing, and Contec says its walls cost 22% less than brick

TAPPING, Australia, July 7, 2025 — Contec Australia says it has completed Australia's first multi-storey 3D-printed concrete home, a two-storey house in Perth's northern suburbs whose structural walls were printed in 18 hours. Here's what happened, what it cost, and what went wrong.

Cost and outcome (as of Aug. 24, 2025)

Outcome: Two-storey house completed in five months from slab to finish, Contec says. (Contec Australia project page, July 7, 2025; Property Council of Australia (WA), Aug. 18, 2025)
Cost: A 22% saving on the structural walls compared with brickwork, per Contec. It published no dollar cost; a representative told New Atlas the home came in 22% cheaper than a standard local masonry house. (Contec Australia project page, July 7, 2025; New Atlas, Aug. 24, 2025)
Caveat: New Atlas notes that the 18 hours covers only printing the shell; builders then spent much longer adding the roof, wiring, floors and everything else. (New Atlas, Aug. 24, 2025)

What was built

The house is in Tapping, 27 km north of the Perth CBD, The Urban Developer reported. Contec printed all of its load-bearing walls and supplied a concrete suspended slab between the floors. (The Urban Developer, July 29, 2025; Contec Australia project page, July 7, 2025)

3D Printing Industry reported that the house is 155 m² and that Contec's team printed all 15 ground-floor walls in 10.5 hours of active printing, then assembled the midfloor and printed the upper walls, finishing within 18 hours of printing. New Atlas describes three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a garage and a small balcony, and says it's one of very few printed houses it has seen where both floors are printed rather than topped with timber. Its photos show the telltale ribbed finish of printed walls on some surfaces and smoother walls on others. (3D Printing Industry, Apr. 3, 2025; New Atlas, Aug. 24, 2025)

The company's claims

Contec says its mix is self-supporting, so walls print without formwork or scaffolding; that it sets hard in under three minutes; and that it reaches 50 MPa, more than three times the 15 MPa of standard bricks. It also calls the walls fire- and water-resistant, termite-proof and cyclone-rated. (Contec Australia project page, July 7, 2025; The Urban Developer, July 29, 2025)

The Urban Developer reported Contec's further claims that its forklift-sized printer prints at 500 mm a second, that the mix produces 30% less CO₂ than conventional concrete, and that each print leaves about one wheelbarrow of waste. (The Urban Developer, July 29, 2025)

Who's behind it

Contec Australia was set up in 2023 by Mark D'Alessandro, a builder and quantity surveyor, who turned to Dutch printer maker CyBe Construction after labour shortages during COVID; CyBe gave Contec's team two weeks of training. D'Alessandro also leads the construction company JCM Property Group. (3D Printing Industry, Apr. 3, 2025; The Urban Developer, July 29, 2025)

"Meeting future housing demand will require more than traditional approaches alone," D'Alessandro said. Property Council WA executive director Nicola Brischetto said: "There is no silver bullet to fix our skills shortage." (Property Council of Australia (WA), Aug. 18, 2025)

What went wrong

Five months, not 18 hours. The printing was fast, but the whole house still took five months, because the roof, services and finishes were done conventionally. (New Atlas, Aug. 24, 2025; Contec Australia project page, July 7, 2025)
Two versions of the saving. Contec's project page puts the 22% saving on structural walls compared with brickwork; a Contec representative told New Atlas the home came in 22% cheaper than a standard local masonry house. Neither gives a dollar figure. (Contec Australia project page, July 7, 2025; New Atlas, Aug. 24, 2025)
Heat. Contec printed in the open without tents in temperatures up to 42°C, 3D Printing Industry reported; that's presented as a success, but it's the company's account. (3D Printing Industry, Apr. 3, 2025)
What we don't know yet: the full cost of the house, and whether an independent engineer has tested the 50 MPa claim.

Our follow-up question for Contec Australia

What did the Tapping house cost in total, and how does that compare with a brick double-storey of the same size?

Sources

Contec Australia, “Tapping Residence” project page, July 7, 2025. contecaustralia.com
Property Council of Australia (WA), “Australia's first multistorey 3D printed concrete home completed in Tapping,” Aug. 18, 2025. propertycouncil.com.au
The Urban Developer, “Australia's First Multi-Storey 3D Printed House Completes,” July 29, 2025. theurbandeveloper.com
3D Printing Industry, “Contec announces Western Australia's first innovative 3D printed multi-story house,” Apr. 3, 2025. 3dprintingindustry.com
New Atlas, “3D-printed two-story house goes up in 18 hours,” Aug. 24, 2025. newatlas.com

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