Research and Innovation
The White Tower showcases groundbreaking advancements in computational design, digital fabrication, structural engineering, and material science, to promote sustainable construction. Technical innovations include the structural use of 3D-printed concrete with thin-walled, material-efficient components, as well as modular construction for future reuse. The innovations in these research fields will fundamentally change construction, paving the way for more sustainable building practices. These advancements were made possible through interdisciplinary collaboration among experts in architecture, structural engineering, materials science, and robotics.
3D Concrete Printing
In 3D concrete printing, a robotic arm successively applies thin layers of soft concrete through a nozzle. The material is soft enough to bond and form continuous, homogeneous components, yet it hardens quickly enough to support the successive layers. The printed material is based on a multi-component technology that combines white concrete with a stabilizer and an accelerator for rapid curing. This enables the creation of freeform elements with large overhangs. The 3D concrete filament used in the process is applied in layers that are 25 mm wide and 8 mm high, forming a continuous print path of approximately 5000 meters per column.
Each column cross-section is composed of three filaments: the outer filament features its ornamental texture, the middle layer contains the encasing reinforcement, and the inner filament forms hollow channels for the main vertical reinforcement. By employing robot-assisted concrete extrusion and eliminating the need for molds, concrete is precisely deposited only where needed, resulting in a 40% reduction in material consumption compared to conventional casting methods.
Automatically Integrated Reinforcement: 2 Robots in Tandem
The White Tower is the world’s first multi-story building to use fully load-bearing 3D-printed columns with steel reinforcement integrated during the printing process. In the newly developed 3D concrete printing method, two robots collaborate: one extrudes concrete layer by layer into complex free-form elements, while the other inserts reinforcement between these layers. After printing the thin-walled hollow elements, longitudinal reinforcement is placed into vertical channels, which are then grouted. This robotic manufacturing process allows the use of 3D-printed concrete in a fully structural and load-bearing manner - a world first.
Disassembly and Reuse
With a focus on circularity and resource reuse, Tor Alva is designed as an entirely reversible structure. This ensures that the tower can be disassembled, relocated, and reassembled after its five-year lifespan in Mulegns, enabling relocation and reuse. Each load-bearing column is made up of three components — the central column, the base, and the capital. The central column is 3D printed, while the capital and base are produced using a novel process in which 3D-printed formwork is combined with castings made from an innovative, sustainable concrete. The capitals and bases of successive columns are screwed together using detachable, dry connections.
Computational Design
The White Tower's design is entirely code-generated, with no manual drawing or modeling. Every detail is parametrically scripted, enabling easy adjustments, immersive visualizations, fabrication simulations, and compliance with robotic 3D printer constraints. The semantic digital model allows for optimizing material use and structural performance while integrating high-resolution technical details like electrical and lighting systems to minimize onsite concrete work.
The parametric 3D printed column design comprises three thin-shell layers for enhanced functionality: an ornamental surface layer, a structural mid layer, and a layer for rebar pockets. A novel fabrication-informed design workflow automates the generation of robotic print-path data with high precision for these layers. Rebar data is incorporated into the digital workflow.
Mass Customization
A single code was used not only to design the different overall forms of columns on the various levels of the tower, but also to embellish each column with a unique algorithmic pattern.