When Nikola Tesla was busy inventing induction lighting in the late 1800s, we’re fairly certain he hadn’t considered that someday we’d be printing houses from computer programs. But here we are now.
Non-profit New Story and housebuilding tech company ICON have teamed up to change how homes are made. They got together and realized the traditional home building process can be wasteful, unsustainable, and expensive. In part, that’s because the construction process can take a long time. On top of that, there are more than a billion people around the world without adequate shelter.
New Story was the first to realize that 3D printing could be a potential solution to the world’s housing shortage. Trouble was, technology at such a scale didn’t exist yet. So, ICON came along and created a massive 3D printer called the Vulcan II. Then, in 2018, they printed an actual home, which became the first permitted 3D printed house in the United States. Their idea worked, so they kept going.
Later this year, the partnership is taking Vulcan II to an undisclosed location in Latin America and is building a full community of homes for families who make less than $200 per day. It will include at least 50 homes and the families will pay an interest-free monthly fee that goes directly into a community fund. Their hope is that the success of the community will be a viable answer in the face of global homelessness and they can scale up their idea.
While combatting homelessness, they’re also realizing ways to make the building process quicker, more sustainable, and less financially burdensome. They report being able to complete a home for approximately $7,000.
“I think it’s going to have a fast evolution from novelty to reality. There’s a real opportunity for low-cost housing really anywhere. New Story’s focus, obviously, is the developing world. But I can’t stop thinking about Northern California and the tremendous need we have for housing. From a speed standpoint, and from a cost standpoint, I think 3D printed building is going to be a reality,” says Fuseproject founder Yves Behar.
Their idea with Vulcan II is to create homes that are resilient against potential disaster. ICON’s CEO Jason Ballard went as far to note the resiliency is the new sustainability. Windows more than 15 years old start to become less efficient. Most traditional houses have regular shingle roofs, but recycled metal roofs come with between 30% and 60% recycled metals and are 100% recyclable after their lifecycle (which is a long time). All factors are being considered in making these 3D-printed homes as long-lasting as possible.
The technology does rely on some familiar materials. In the United States, most homes more than 50 years old have a concrete slab foundation, and the Vulcan II can print a whole home out of concrete in about a day. Then the next day, more traditional pieces like the roof, windows, and miscellaneous fixtures will be completed. The full build time takes about two days. How many homes have you seen completed in that time frame? We’ll wait.
Once the Latin America project is completed, the technology could have a lot to offer the future of home construction and sustainable housing. Where we’ll go from there? Who knows.
The possible impact this could have on humanity and the problem of homelessness is incredibly encouraging, especially as the technology advances and provides unique solutions. Years down the road, this idea has the potential to be just as seemingly ancient as Tesla’s more than a century ago and, hopefully, homelessness can become a thing of the past.
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