The 3D Printing Solution for the Housing Shortage
Large-scale 3D-printing could become a cornerstone of future construction projects, with the potential to change the landscape of cities and even combat the global housing crisis.
3D-printing streamlines civil engineering projects
The world’s first 3D-printed bridge also happens to be the first-ever 3D-printed civil engineering project. Located in Madrid, it’s a collaboration by Spanish infrastructure company ACCIONA, the Institute of Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC), and construction printer Monolite UK.
The bridge is built of micro-reinforced concrete, laid down layer by layer by Monolite UK’s “D-Shape” printer. D-Shape boasts a 20-by-20-foot aluminum frame and an array of 300 printing nozzles, guided by algorithms that optimize the distribution of materials to provide maximum structural resistance while reducing waste.
The result is a porous but sturdy 40-foot-long footbridge at Castilla-La Mancha park in Alcobendas, Madrid. More importantly, it opens the door for a new type of civic architecture, led by AI and built by robots.
3D-printing revolutionizes the house-building process
Europe’s largest 3D-printer, the Danish “BOD2,” recently completed one of the most ambitious printing projects yet: a 970-square-foot two-story house.
Among printed structures, the house is unprecedented. First, for being multi-storied. Second for being constructed as a single piece, on-site, at the Provincial Center for Sustainability and Innovation in Construction (aka Kamp C) in Westerlo, Belgium.
The printer responsible is BOD2, a 32-by-32-foot giant that swings back and forth on a gantry. It completed the house in just 15 days, achieving a 50% reduction in CO2 emissions in the process. It also saved up to 60% on budget and material use, without sacrificing durability. In fact, the printed house is three times sturdier than a brick abode. And with modern amenities like solar panels and heated floors, it’s far from spartan.
Too bad this particular house won’t be inhabited. It’s a proof of concept to demonstrate the feasibility of printing large structures and buildings.
3D-printing creates a new type of community
New Story, a San Francisco non profit that supplies homes to those in need, and ICON, an Austin-based 3D construction company, are building the world’s first 3D-printed communities in Tabasco, Mexico, and Austin, Texas.
In Tabasco, two houses have already been printed, and 48 more will follow. They’ll be offered to low-income families, who survive on less than $3 a day and earn a median monthly income of $76.50. When surveyed, 74% of the families said they did not feel safe in their current homes. Some of which are single-room, makeshift shacks, unprotected from floods, earthquakes and other dangers.
Their new, printed houses span 500 square feet and provide all necessities, including a kitchen, bathroom, living room and two bedrooms. Utilities will be included, as well as access to green spaces and community programs, for an interest-free mortgage of $20 a month.
In Austin, Texas, New Story and ICON have erected six 400-square-foot homes at the Community First! Village, a 51-acre development that includes traditional and 3D-printed residences for the needy. Each printed home consists of a bedroom, bathroom, full kitchen and porch.
The houses rent for $430 a month, but residents can earn money through on-site jobs. When completed, the project hopes to house 480 formerly homeless individuals, about 40% of Austin’s chronically homeless population.
In Tabasco and Austin, all the homebuilding labor is supplied by ICON’s 3,800-pound printer, “Vulcan II.” It extrudes a smooth-flowing, quick-setting “Lavacrete,” allowing it to raise the walls of a house in only 24 hours. Overall, the printing process halves the time and cost associated with traditional building methods.
A brighter future through 3D-printing
These advances couldn’t come at a better time. With an increasing global population and a lack of affordable housing, 3D-printing technologies offer a quicker, cheaper, safer way to custom-build a near-infinite variety of homes.