The Netherlands is famously flat—but a massive green mountain is rising up in the Dutch city of Veldhoven. The Dutch Mountains project will be the world’s largest wooden building, combining natural materials with high-tech design to create a state-of-the-art, self-sustaining development. The ambitious project will include several offices and work spaces, as well as various conference centers. It will also feature a hotel located on site and short-stay facilities for out-of-town visitors. The main building will be constructed of solid wood and, once completed, will be the largest wooden building in the world. The Dutch Mountains master plan envisions an entirely self-sufficient complex, with closed cycles for energy, water, waste and materials. The architects chose timber as the principal building material in order to create system that reduces CO2 emissions. Additionally, they plan to integrate the building’s facade with a smart technology that reduces energy usage. The project envisions a future where the building can be updated with greener materials that help improve the building’s sustainability. For example, the building’s temperature-regulating facade will be one of the most innovative on the market, but if a smarter facade is created in the future that produces more energy, it can easily replace the old version, which will be recycled or repurposed. The complex will not only use sustainable building materials, but also provide an abundance of green space to create a vibrant, healthy atmosphere. From green roofs and a large park to an artificial marshland, the complex will be virtually covered in vegetation.

If centuries ago famous architect Antonio Gaudi heard that his masterpiece Sagrada Familia construction will be completed with 3D printers, he would be surprised. However, 3D printers are successfully implemented in construction processes. For example, Emerging Objects Company created 3D printed ceramic cool bricks, Chinese company WinSun 3D printed a five-story apartment building and a 110 square meters villa , American architect Adam Kushner plans to build the newest 3D-printed estate . World's first 3D printed home constructed in Amsterdam Today the innovative Dutch construction company Heijmans has unveiled their latest avant-garde project: a 3D-printed steel bridge in the heart of Amsterdam. A new bridge created in collaboration with Dutch startup MX3D and designed by Dutch designer Joris Laarman. Multi-axis industrial robots will construct the pedestrian bridge using cost-effective and scalable technologies. MX3D equips multi-axis industrial robots with 3D printing tools and develops software so that the robots print metals, plastics and combinations of materials in virtually any format. From large construction to small part - with this technique MX3D can 3D print strong, complex structures of durable material. The new technique is cost-effective and scalable, more than current 3D printing methods, and offers creative robot production solutions for art, construction and more. The goal behind the experimental 3D-printing project is the eventual creation of an automatic construction site. According to Jan van de Ven, Heijmans' Manager of Business Development, the use of 3D printing for construction purposes also has benefits in the design sector and, once popularized, can revolutionize the way we approach the design/build process. "Construction and design are currently rather separate factors in construction - the architect design something and the constructor interprets the design and builds what he thinks is needed. But using 3D printing for a bridge makes design and construction operate hand-in-hand. For instance, both activities are done at the same time, instead of first building the structure and then adding the design later. This means we will also have to start looking at design in a completely different manner." The location of the bridge has not yet been determined but will be announced soon. The pedestrian bridge will span one of Amsterdam's old canals and has been described by designer Joris Laarman as a "fantastic metaphor for connecting the technology of the future with the city's historic past, in a way which would reveal the best aspects of both worlds." From September 2015 a visitor center opens for the public, where the progress of the project can be followed. MX3D and the City of Amsterdam will announce the exact location of the bridge soon.

How cool would it be to tell people you live inside of a wind turbine? Designed for the port city of Rotterdam, the Dutch "Windwheel" is a concept for a sustainable landmark that would be able to house 72 apartments within a circular steel and glass frame, while also serving as a silent, motionless wind turbine. In addition to harvesting energy from the wind, the structure would be equipped with facilities to capture rainwater, recycle tap water and also produce biogas from the residents' organic waste. The "Windwheel" is composed of two rings built on an underground foundation and surrounded by wetlands so as to give the structure the appearance of floating. The outer ring houses 40 rotating cabins to provide visitors with impressive views of Rotterdam-much as the London Eye does in the UK. The inner ring houses 72 apartments, 160 hotel rooms, and commercial outlets and is topped off with a restaurant. Perhaps the most striking detail of the 174 meter tall "Windwheel", other than its appearance, is the turbine that fills the inner ring of the building. The electrostatic wind energy converter (EWICON) is a technology that was developed at TU Delft and converts wind energy with a framework of steel tubes into electricity without moving mechanical parts. This means no noise and much easier maintenance. Within the interior of the massive ringed structure would be a set of steel tubes ringed with electrodes, sort of like a tennis racket. Sprayers would then emit charged water particles, and electricity would be generated when the wind pushes these particles past the electrodes. According to architect Duzan Doepel of Doepel Strijkers, the firm designing the project, the idea is to create an icon like the London Eye that will both attract tourists and showcase cutting-edge technology. He expects they may be able to finish the structure within five to six years, and estimates suggest it may attract up to 1.5 million visitors a year. The proposed "Windwheel" is also equipped with solar PVs and a climactic facade to make the best use of natural resources. The building's water usage is also carefully managed, with rainwater captured atop the structure, and tap water fed into the wetlands that surround the "Windwheel". Furthermore, biogas is also produced from the residents' waste.

The 3D printing revolution is almost at the point where there can be a printer in any home. But what about using a printer to build the house itself? The Dutch company DUS Architects is working on doing just that. They've developed a 3D printer 10 times the size of ordinary ones. It's called the KamerMaker, which means Room Builder, and they've built it out of a shipping container, with the goal to 3D print an entire house! Using bio-plastics, the on-site printer can create the pieces of a canal home that the firm is currently building as an experiment over the next few years. One aspect of construction they're testing is the ability to reduce waste. The bio-plastic is based on rapeseeds, and if the manufactured piece is slightly out of spec, it can be ground up and reused. Also, because the pieces are all made on site, there's less trial and error, and therefore fewer resources are wasted. Some think the on-site model will increase construction time but that's all part of the experiment. The architectural firm is even thinking of other material possibilities, like a wood-based liquid that hardens into something like MDF, or biodegradable products that could be used for temporary structures, then melted back into the earth after a season. At the Canal House, pieces ranging from around 3 meters tall (which take a week to print) to room components with built-in furniture will be fitted together and filled with insulating concrete, creating not only a new building, but also the opportunity to learn how these revolutionary techniques can be best used on the building sites of tomorrow. A couple of decades ago, the very idea of robo-printing a house, or 3D-printed anything would have been considered science fiction; existing only in a Star Trek universe or similar. In just a few short years, the 3D printing industry has grown by leaps and bounds, and we're currently seeing everything from 3D-printed food to prosthetic limbs, furniture items, and now even full-scale buildings. During his visit to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, The 3D Print Canal House was presented to United States' President Barack Obama by the Mayor of Amsterdam Eberhard van der Laan.

The Dutch have been fighting the rising and falling tides for centuries, building dikes and pumping water out of areas that are below sea level. Now, rather than fight the water infiltrating their land, the Dutch will use it as part of a new development called "New Water", which will feature the world's first floating apartment complex, The Citadel. Netherlands-based firm Waterstudio just announced plans to construct the world's first floating apartment complex in 2014! The Citadel will offer 60 luxury apartments made from 180 modular units that will be arranged around a central courtyard and topped with green roofs. The Netherlands is home to over 3,500 polders, or patches of low-lying land that are protected by dykes. Since they are below sea level, water needs to be pumped out of these areas around the clock. The Citadel apartments will be one of six projects comprising the New Water development, which is located in one of these polders. After completion, the land will be flooded to allow the Citadel to float atop the water. The main deck will consist of a floating, heavy concrete base measuring 73 x 128 x 2.8 meters that will support the lightweight apartments and a parking lot. Each unit will be wrapped in aluminum and topped with a green roof. A bridge will connect the Citadel to the mainland and allow access for emergency and maintenance vehicles. Once water is reintroduced to the polder, the entire complex will float atop six feet of water. Inside the Citadel, each unit boasts a private outdoor space, a berth for a small boat, and greenhouses will be scattered among the units. Water will be pumped through submerged pipes to cool the structures. The overall design is estimated to make the apartments 25% more energy efficient than developments on land. Due to its size, residents will not be able to detect the motion of the water. Waterstudio is planning to begin building early next year.