The structure will be the world’s first permanently inhabited 3D printed building.

The world’s first 3D printed home has been constructed in France. The 95-square-metre, five-roomed abode was designed and built by scientists from the University of Nantes and will house a local family qualifying for social assistance from June.

It took just 18-days to build the shell of the house using a polymer material that was printed into shape by a specially created machine, named BatiPrint3D. Concrete was used to fill the hollow walls for insulation.

The house is equipped with multiple sensors to monitor things like air quality, humidity and temperature. Systems also evaluate the thermal properties of the building, to allow the tenants to save on energy costs.

“Is this the future?” asked Benoit Furet, a University of Nantes professor. “It’s a solution and a constructive principle that is interesting because we create the house directly on site and, in addition, we are able to create walls with complex shapes.”

The success of the project has led the Nantes city authority to investigate the possibility of building an entire housing estate using the same 3D printing technique.