America’s First Development of 3D-Printed Homes Hits the Market in Austin, Texas
A series of four 3D-printed homes have just been completed in East Austin, offering buyers an alternative in one of the country’s hottest real estate markets.
A series of four 3D-printed homes have just been completed in East Austin, offering buyers an alternative in one of the country’s hottest real estate markets.
In 2018, over the course of a little more than 48 hours, the first permitted 3D-printed home was built in Austin, Texas. The tiny home stood as proof of concept for builders ICON, the company that, with local developers 3Strands, has now completed an entire 3D-printed housing development in the burgeoning neighborhood of East Austin.
It took around one week of print time to complete the wall system for each home in the development—a process that would typically involve four steps or more using traditional building processes, including framing, drywall, and siding.
Photo by Regan Morton Photography
Dubbed East 17th Street, the landmark project features four reasonably priced homes with a mash up of construction methods. The first floor of each is printed using the same technology ICON used to create its first tiny home, a village in Mexico, and a community for the homeless: Atop a concrete slab, the robotic arm of a printer, the Vulcan II, meticulously extrudes layers of a cement-like material called Lavacrete. The results are walls with the texture of meringue, but the strength of mortar.
ICON’s system speeds up building as it replaces the need for multiple materials and trades with just three materials—Lavacrete, insulation, and a small amount of steel for reinforcing. There’s also no longer any need to coordinate various trades on site, greatly reducing construction.
Photo by Regan Morton Photography
"[Concrete] is better suited to reduce fire risk, withstand impact damage from wind storms and doesn’t need to be replaced like drywall after flooding," attests Conner Jenkins, senior project manager at ICON. "Lavacrete is even stronger and longer-lasting than traditional building materials."
The homes’ second levels are finished with more conventional construction methods, relying on metal cladding and timber that contrasts beautifully with the Lavacrete.
The Skyview Residence is a four-bedroom, three-bathroom home with 1,521-square-foot of space across two levels. The living spaces and guest bedroom on the ground floor open out to a spacious yard, while the upper floor is dedicated to private bedroom spaces.
Photo by Regan Morton Photography
See the full story on Dwell.com: America’s First Development of 3D-Printed Homes Hits the Market in Austin, Texas
