3D Printed Homes to 3D Printed Communities: It’s Here!
One of the largest homebuilders in the USA, Lennar, is teaming up with a construction technology startup, Icon, to begin construction on a community of 100 homes near Austin, Texas this coming year. A few companies have already printed houses before, but no company has attempted to build a new community from scratch. The 3D printer squeezes out concrete in layers like frosting on a cake or toothpaste from a tube. Can you imagine how much concrete it will take to build 100 homes? This process is notable for a few reasons. First, concrete is a very solid building material making it resistant to termites, tornadoes, earthquakes, and flooding. Second, because this process is automated and doesn’t involve tons of labor, there are major cost savings which makes homes more affordable. Third, there is significantly less waste on the jobsite so our landfills will have less impact. Finally, the homes are much less expensive to heat and cool. If the development of this 3D project is successful, it could very well signal a new era in home building, home maintenance, and living.
