Texas has made a significant step in innovative housing. The US state unveiled the largest community in the world of 3D-printed houses.
Recent showcases of the first completed home in this groundbreaking project that features walls “printed” by using a material based on concrete, were shown. The first of 100 homes will be built in a grand scheme. Residents are expected to move into these homes starting in September.
CNN reported that the community was part of Wolf Ranch, a large development located in California.
It is a joint venture between Texas-based ICON Construction, Lennar Homebuilding, and Danish architect Bjarke Ingels Group.
Model home recently unveiled boasts bright interiors with curved gray walls made of Lavacrete, a concrete-based product. The walls are created using 46-foot-wide robotic printers, and once those are complete, the doors, windows, and roofs — all equipped with solar panels — are installed.
As per ICON, over a third of the homes’ walls have been printed. The 3D printed homes are between 475 and 599 dollars and range from 1,500 square feet to 2,100. They have three or four bedrooms.
The project began in 2021. Jason Ballard co-founder and CEO of ICON described the project at the time as a “watershed in the history community-scale development.”
He said that 3D-printing allows for the construction of homes with high quality at a quicker and more affordable rate compared to traditional building methods.
The innovative use of 3D printing in housing has the potential to address pressing environmental concerns and also the deficit the United States faces in terms of housing.
CNN reports that independent research shows 3D printed homes can reduce construction waste and carbon dioxide emissions. Concrete is used less because formwork, which is a concrete mould that requires a lot of material, can be eliminated.
Cement is responsible for approximately 8 percent of the annual CO2 emissions in the world. A 2020 study found that 3D-printed houses are significantly less expensive.
The project may be a positive step in terms of affordable housing, but critics say that 3D-printed houses still use carbon-intensive concrete. They also say that building codes addressing the safety and stability of these structures have not yet been widely adopted.