3D Printed Houses Made Within 48 Hours
Houses built with 3D printing machines in just 2 days in the US state of Texas may be hope for billions of homeless people around the world.
Built with 10 thousand dollars worth of concrete material, 60 m2 one-storey houses turn into a reliable and pleasant home to live in.
The ultimate goal is to complete the construction of each house within 12 to 24 hours.
At the Southwest Technology Fair held last week in Austin, I had the opportunity to tour one of these houses, which took 48 hours to build.
The project is a joint product of Icon construction company and New Story, an organization that builds houses in developing regions. The aim of the project owners is to implement a formula that will significantly reduce costs by using economies of scale together.
For this, they use technological advancement in 3D printing machines and low-cost cast concrete material.
The project will be tested with pilot houses to be built in El Salvador this year. In 2019, 100 units will be built in a poor neighborhood here.
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How is it working?
Ingredients are added layer by layer and slowly. The main material is mortar, which is used instead of concrete.
The width and height of each house is limited by the dimensions of a giant metal frame. This frame, which is used to create the skeleton, is a machine that can operate on its own according to the commands given.
Alex Le Roux, president of the construction company Icon, says that they can print 3-meter-tall layer materials with these robots.
Roux said, “The system runs on rails like a train. “You can build multiple houses in a row, or create a tall residence,” he says.
The robot Roux mentioned works by following blue dots produced by typical computer software. In this way, a homeowner can create his own home by choosing from the many designs in the software.
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different from slum
When I visit the sample house design introduced at the fair, I encounter a small but practical structure.
It certainly doesn't look like a slum. Resistant to bad weather conditions and wear and tear.
When I stepped inside, work on the interior design of the house had just begun. A small army of construction workers is noisily installing the wooden roof and windows. As the hours pass, furniture is placed and electricity and plumbing are installed.
These houses, which some may find cold and merciless, may satisfy the aesthetic sense of some with their minimalist design. I am also in the second group: The houses have a design that can appeal to the eye in living areas where high rents are demanded all over the world.
$30 per month
The priority of the project at this stage is those who need homes the most.
The 100 pilot houses to be built in El Salvador with donations made by wealthy people in Silicon Valley are eagerly awaited.
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