Hiking down a dirt path in the rolling hills of the Collserola Natural Park, you could be forgiven for being distracted by the spectacular views of Barcelona stretched out below.  

Then TOVA comes into view: Spain's first ever 3D-printed building.

A little hidden and hard to find, its creators hope that this technology will eventually be found everywhere.

"The dream" - 3D-printing sustainable buildings from mud

The prototype home uses some of the planet's newest technology combined with one of its oldest materials – earth – in a building method that could be a real disruptor in the construction industry.

"The dream we have behind this technology is to make buildings more affordable," says Alexandre Dubor, engineer, architect, and director of the 3D-printing programs at the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC).

"It allows people to design their own houses and build them thanks to these technologies," he continues, "in a sustainable way and also to create beautiful architectures."

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Houses made in weeks

It takes just weeks to build a simple structure with these 3D-printers using mud found onsite.

TOVA's foundation is made from geopolymer and the roof wood, while the soil is mixed with additives and enzymes to help with structural integrity.

Strong, sturdy, and natural, the environmental benefits are huge in an industry that accounts for as much as 39 percent of annual global carbon emissions worldwide.

Reducing the carbon release of construction

"We're all worried about climate change," says Tinsae Tsegahun, a scholarship student from Ethiopia at the IAAC.

"The focus of this 3D-printing architecture is earth, which you can locally find, it's a carbon neutral technology.

"I believe I can take all this knowledge back to Africa as it's a really quick way of building shelters or schools as that's something I've been focussing on, social architecture."

The IAAC works with students and other institutions around the world, sharing this technology and knowledge, and a new design centre in Shenzhen, China, is on the horizon with classes already underway.

Inspired by nature

The IAAC also works with World's Advanced Saving Project, or 'WASP' which builds large-scale 3D printers around the world for human needs: food, housing, health, energy, work, art, and culture.

The Italian company, and the entire project, is Inspired by the 'potter wasp' which builds its nest from the materials it finds in its local environment.

While the technology is becoming more widespread, 3D-printed earthen homes still have a way to go before we see them on every building site around the world.

That doesn't stop makers around the world innovating for a cleaner, greener method of construction around the world.

"It's a bit fantastic, and magic in a way that technology could, out of nothing, build a house," says Alexandre Dubor with a smile.