German Builder Prints Two-Story HQ in 105 Hours, Then Launches 3D Division

A Building That Took 105 Hours to Print

Matthäi Schlüsselfertigbau, part of one of Germany's twenty largest construction groups, now occupies a two-story office in Selsingen, Lower Saxony that was built differently from most German office buildings. The walls came from a COBOD BOD2 construction printer using Holcim's TectorPrint cementitious material. Printing took about 105 hours spread across both floors. The foundation, floors, and roof went in using conventional methods.

The finished building measures 7.4 meters high, 22.5 meters long, and 13.5 meters deep. It offers 364 square meters of usable space split between 170 square meters on the ground floor and 194 square meters upstairs. The architectural firm Schulenburg and planning company Mense-Korte designed the facade and form directly in the digital model that drove the printer.

From One Project to a Division

What makes this story different from the usual 3D-printed building announcement is what happened after the printer switched off. Matthäi did not treat the headquarters as a one-off proof of concept. The company established its own construction 3D printing division, partnered with PERI 3D Construction, and started taking on projects as regular business.

Philip Lund-Nielsen, co-founder of COBOD International, called the move exactly what the industry needs to see. He said the step from a single printed building to an in-house capability shows construction 3D printing has moved past demonstration and into everyday business.

Why German Construction Is Taking This Seriously

Germany has a skilled trades shortage, rising labor costs, and a mandate to cut construction emissions. 3D concrete printing addresses all three. The TectorPrint material used in Selsingen is a printable concrete mix that hardens into load-bearing walls without the formwork that conventional pouring requires. That alone removes a major bottleneck in complex geometries.

Bernd Mergard, managing director of Matthäi Schlüsselfertigbau, framed the decision in practical terms. He said the company is combining entrepreneurial growth with innovation, and that the printed headquarters proves the technology works at scale in Northern Germany. Tim Schulenburg, the architect, went further. He described 3D concrete printing as the creation of an entirely new sector within construction, not just a technological advance.

The building has been occupied since July 2026. The division is already operational. In a market where most 3D-printed buildings are still promotional gestures, Matthäi is treating the technology as a core capability.