The robot, set up on a local authority building site, layered layers of special concrete for 27 and a half hours, barely enough time for a long weekend. A further ten weeks were needed to fit the roof, interior finishes and technical systems. The result is a compact house comprising a living room with an open kitchen, a bathroom, a multi-purpose room and a corridor. All of this on a plot of land deemed too small to accommodate a traditional building.

The project is more than just a technological coup. The house has been designed to operate almost autonomously, using solar panels connected to a battery system. The carbon footprint remains limited, at around 4.4 tonnes of CO2, well below that of conventional buildings. The overall cost is estimated at CZK 8m, or around €320,000, according to figures released to the specialist press.

The initiative is part of the local authority's "Hei wunne bleiwen" programme, which aims to develop affordable housing. The call for applications launched by the local authority has already attracted between 20 and 23 applicants, a sign that curiosity is coupled with a genuine interest in occupying the accommodation. "This project represents a major step towards innovative housing solutions", said the mayor of Niederanven, Fréd Ternes.

The symbolic dimension has not escaped the diplomats either. Jiří Jílek, deputy ambassador of the Czech Republic, praised the showcase provided for his country's companies on the Luxembourg market. ICE had already made its mark in the Czech Republic with the floating prototype "Prvok", believed to be one of the world's first 3D-printed residential homes.

The house in Niederanven will not house hundreds of inhabitants, but it offers a life-size demonstration: a home can now be printed almost as quickly as a book. It remains to be seen whether this experiment will remain an isolated prototype or whether other local authorities will follow suit, layer by layer.

This article was originally published in French.