Blueprints are now set in place to build the world’s first 3D printed neighborhood. The first, of what’s proposed to be many of its kind, is set to be built or “printed” in Latin America. These homes are designed for families living on less than $200 a month and will hopefully be looked at as a long term solution to the housing crisis around the world.
“This project presents a number of exciting questions – how to innovate with a 3D printer to create a housing model that is replicable, built to last and built to sustain multi-generational family growth; how to integrate local needs, traditions, and techniques into several varied cutting edge technological designs; and how to create a structure that is simultaneously affordable, attractive, safe, and functional,” says Fuseproject the founder Yves Behar, the company responsible for this project. “The process has been beautifully collaborative and has led to creative solutions for an adaptive design born in partnership with the local community.
3D printing is a relatively new concept to construction but has already taken noteable steps into solidifying its significance in the industry. From constructing office buildings to castles and even greater, 10 houses in just 24 hours, 3D printing shows incredible promise for the advancement of the industry.
There are a number of different ways that 3D printing has been adapted for construction but generally speaking there’s a technique that seems the most popular. This specific way of 3D printing construction uses a large “printer” that extrudes mortar into the programmed patterns through a nozzle that moves as its programed.
Layer by layer the walls of these homes are constructed before human workers come in to add the finishing details like windows and roofing. Once started, construction of one of these houses only takes about 48 hours and costs just $10,000.
What do the Homes Include?
- Built in kitchen
- Built in bathroom counters
- Built in seating and shelves
- Curved walls for easy cleaning
- Outdoor kitchen
- Outdoor spaces for raising chickens
- Large outdoor space for gardening
Printing and construction of these low-cost homes is expected to begin this year and is already gaining some momentum in the press. Building an entire home in less than a week that’s actually affordable? Sounds a little too good to be true for some, but Behar insists that once completed, the homes will not only provide cheap housing for struggling families but can also be used as a shining example of the possibilities that 3D printing can bring to the construction industry.