The 3D printing revolution is in full swing, and it is now reaching the homebuilding industry.
In a popular video, Jarett Gross, whose YouTube channel focuses on automated construction and affordable housing, takes viewers on a tour of a Texas home that was fully 3D-printed.
"This project is immaculate," Gross says.
Built by Hive3D, the home features an open-concept kitchen and living area, a roughly 800-square-foot loft, and a detached garage — which was also printed using concrete.
What stands out the most, though, is a textured, patterned wall that occupies the main hallway — a surefire talking point for anyone who would walk through the house and a benefit of a 3D-printed home.
"It's an awesome feature. You might expect to pay tens of thousands of dollars for a sculpture like this in your home," Gross says. "But with printing, it was almost as easy as any old, regular wall."
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The construction industry creates massive amounts of waste. When combined with the production of common building materials like cement, the industry is responsible for upward of 11% of global carbon emissions, the National Observer reported.
This has led many in the industry to find more sustainable ways of building. One option is using more sustainable materials, such as timber; another is to reuse materials and reduce the distance that they are shipped.
3D printing could be another possibility.
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Would you trust a home built by a 3D-printing robot? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
For sure 👍 Printed using materials such as foam concrete, the homes are designed to be well-insulated and energy-efficient. The process creates much less waste than traditional home construction, and it can be quicker and cheaper.
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Hive3D says a home's shell can be printed in weeks, and the entire construction process usually takes only a few months. Also, because fewer resources are necessary, the company says 3D-printed homes can be considerably cheaper than others, although it doesn't provide exact pricing for its houses.
This innovation is also happening across the globe. A Portuguese company completed an 860-foot, two-bedroom home at about half the price of a similar, traditionally constructed home. The house took about 18 hours to print, with the entire project being finished in less than two months.
In the Netherlands, a housing project has resulted in 3D-printed "habitable boulders" — multistory homes that have three bedrooms and up to 1,370 square feet.
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