Holcim’s blue.sprint towards smart building
With 2 billion more people forecast to live in our growing cities by 2050, construction project teams are looking for smart building solutions that enable them to build structures more sustainably and quickly, while reducing costs and optimizing interior and exterior spaces.
What is blue.sprint?
blue.sprint from Xella is a comprehensive digital planning service that meets this need. It helps investors, developers and builders optimize planning, material selection and construction – from blueprint to build, using digital product data, expert consulting and automated workflows.
As we build the cities of tomorrow, we need to look at the whole building lifecycle - from blueprint and build to operation and reuse. blue.sprint uses digital planning to optimize spaces, reduce our use of primary raw materials, accelerate construction timelines and reduce costs.
How does blue.sprint work?
blue.sprint transforms traditional construction across 5 key stages:
- BIM modeling: The process begins in the cloud using BIM Core, our collaborative digital platform. Project teams upload 3D Building Information Modeling (BIM) files that an expert team evaluates – verifying wall, ceiling, and roof dimensions before physical work starts.
- Model optimization: Automated checks of this “digital twin” of the structure identify design clashes, structural conflicts, and material inefficiencies. Experts optimize wall layouts by mapping sustainable building solutions like Ytong or Silka to exact structural requirements.
- Automated digital production: Once the digital twin is approved, the 3D BIM model connects directly to factory production systems. Building blocks, panels, and structural elements are prefabricated and cut to exact project specifications, optimizing primary raw material use.
- Just-in-time logistics: Modular materials are delivered to the construction site as they are needed, keeping dense urban job sites organized and providing assembly crews with clear installation plans – accelerating construction timelines by up to 60%.
- Lifecycle management: The digital model remains active throughout the building's lifespan, and facility managers can access data on material properties (such as thermal insulation or compressive strength) for efficient maintenance, and even ultimate recycling of the building.
Key advantages of blue.sprint
| Construction phase | Traditional planning | blue.sprint |
| Design & Review | Manual clash potential | Automated 3D collision checks using BIM Core |
| Material Efficiency | Onsite cutting, higher material scrap | Factory prefabrication, minimal onsite waste |
| Site Logistics | Delivery bottlenecks and potential delays | Just-in-time scheduled deliveries |
| Building Lifecycle | Static records, complex maintenance or renovation | Live digital twin data for operation, material recycling |
Courtesy of Medusa Group Architects
blue.sprint in action
Paulshöfe Residential Development, Düseldorf, Germany
This large-scale residential quarter features themed courtyards, community spaces, and modern multi-family housing. Developer Bonava used blue.sprint to run multi-disciplinary BIM clash detections and digital approvals before the build, resulting in faster decision making and an up to 10% total cost reduction, through precise pre-ordering and reduced material waste.
Tivoli Eco-District, Brussels, Belgium
For this sustainable housing development in Brussels, the project team used blue.sprint to plan every wall section down to custom-cut units, linked directly to automated factory production. This minimized on-site cutting noise and dust, drastically reduced scrap waste, and ensured just-in-time delivery directly, while minimizing onsite congestion.
Oostflank Urban Renewal, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
This residential housing development used blue.sprint’s BIM Core cloud platform to align architects, structural engineers, and material supply chains. Using a shared digital twin, our experts verified structural load paths before the build, delivering 20% savings on shell construction costs and an around 30% reduction in construction time.
Smart building with Holcim
Using digital automation and smart design we are building the NextGen cities of the future – sustainable, circular, energy-efficient, resilient and smart.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Building Information Modeling (BIM) allow us to use generative design – and tools like blue.sprint – to plan more sustainable, optimized urban landscapes.
Smart building allows you to more accurately plan projects and optimize use of resources, unlocking material savings using Holcim’s innovative technologies. These range from 3D printing and carbon prestressed concrete (CPC) to modular construction, our Holcim+ AI-powered platform that empowers our customers to manage projects with ease, and more.
