ICON Homes - 3D Printed Housing in 24 Hours

Posted: March 12, 2018

In: OMG ➠ Pads

ADDITIONAL IMAGES & VIDEOS

RELATED PRODUCTS

Allwood Eagle Point 1108 SQF Kit Cabin - $46,900.00
Pre-Fabricated Container Home - $35,000.00
Lifetime Outdoor Storage Shed with Shutters - $1,665.99
Microshelters: 59 Creative Cabins, Tiny Houses, Tree Houses & Other Small Structures - $11.45

Product Source

You're looking at a 650-square-foot cement house that was built by a 3D printer. In less than 24 hours. For around only $10,000. And ICON, the construction tech firm behind the Vulcan 3D printer that made it happen, says even that cost will eventually come down to around $4,000, with build time for complete 400- to 800-square-foot homes possible in 12 to 24 hours.

ICON, in partnership with non-profit New Story, built and unveiled the home above in Austin, TX as part of the city's 2018 South By Southwest Interactive Festival. They hope to use the technology to help address worldwide housing shortages and the needs of low income areas. In addition to the cost and time effectiveness of the 3D printer's output, ICON reports the cement printing materials they've developed for it allow the build process to occur nearly waste-free, and without issue in areas with limited water, power, and labor infrastructure.

ICON intends to trial a single 3D-printed cement home as an office space, installing air quality sensors and testing out how it looks, smells, and feels inside for long periods of time. After that, ICON and New Story will 3D print their first housing project in El Salvador.

Beyond affordable housing, ICON sees the 3D-printed homes as viable options for any type of custom housing and - good thing Elon Musk showed up to SXSW this year too - "off-planet space habitats."

Muchas danke to The Verge.

More Products You Might Like