Concrete Canoe 2025 | Learning Through Full-Scale Experimentation

A Tradition of Experimentation

Participating in the annual Concrete Canoe Race has become a valued tradition at Vertico. In collaboration with Utrechtse Technische Vereniging, and organized by KOers, the 2025 edition brought together design ambition, engineering curiosity, and hands-on fabrication. This year’s canoe, Obi Wan Kanobi, stood out with its elegant geometry and striking color gradient, demonstrating the expressive potential of 3D concrete printing.

Design, Fabrication, and Reality Checks

The canoe was designed as a lightweight, slender structure, pushing material efficiency while maintaining visual clarity. Using robotic 3D concrete printing allowed for precise control over thickness, curvature, and surface quality. While the canoe itself was successful as a printed object, it did not survive transportation. The experience revealed a critical oversight in the transport strategy, reinforcing the importance of considering logistics and support conditions as part of the overall design process.

More Than a Race

Beyond the canoe itself, Vertico also 3D printed custom trophies for the participants, adding a personal and tangible contribution to the event. Projects like this are essential learning platforms: they allow rapid testing, honest evaluation, and direct feedback that feeds into future designs. Each iteration brings new insights, and we look forward to returning next year with even stronger ideas and solutions.

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