Imagine building all the walls of a whole house in just 12 hours! That is precisely what 3-D printed houses are promising. In addition to the rapid construction process, the house’s 3D printer construction process benefits by using high-strength, durable concrete. Interior walls are typically two layers thick with airspace in between. Exterior walls are three layers thick, filled with an insulating material making the houses airtight, energy-efficient, and sturdy. The thermal mass of the interior walls mitigates rapid temperature changes, making the interior temperature very stable.
Startups worldwide are working on pushing this new method of homebuilding despite the current lack of economies of scale. The process uses computer software to program the home’s design into the “printer” that then squirts the concrete into the appropriate pattern layer by layer. This process can easily create curved walls and unique designs. It can also create square corners since placing furniture in round rooms is challenging. Experts estimate that 3D printed houses will cost 15-20% less than traditional stick-built houses due to less manual labor and less lumber involved.
NASA- MARS 3D Printed Housing
Interestingly, NASA is using 3D printing technology in a Mars simulation. NASA decided that transporting traditional building materials to Mars would be cost-prohibitive, so they turned to 3D printing technology to create both a Mars simulation and a possible Mars habitation project. NASA hosted a 4-year long competition to engineer 3D-printed homes suitable for Mars. Two teams reached the final phase, printing homes in a live final head-to-head competition.
Unlike earth construction, which is water-intensive, construction on Mars would have to be waterless. Since water is a precious commodity on other planets, traditional concrete would be out of the question. Also, since there is no atmosphere, Mars housing would have to be airtight and pressurized while withstanding massive temperature swings. The company that won the NASA competition is currently working on converting its egg-shaped Mars design into housing suitable for Earthlings. They are building their first “Terra” home in upstate New York.
Since the 3D printing process can only create walls, wiring and plumbing still use traditional methods. In the following video, you can see how wiring boxes are incorporated into the design.
3D printing allows for some unusual designs. The above house is a one-room ‘Wasp house,” i.e., each room is a separate “cell,” these cells can be connected to other cells to create a larger house. 3rd world countries could use this design to provide very low-cost housing.
Habitat for Humanity “Prints” Low-Cost Home
A recent CNN article featured a 1,200-square-foot 3D printed home with three bedrooms, two full baths built from concrete by Habitat For Humanity in Virginia. The Habitat Homebuyer Program requires the future homeowner to perform “sweat equity,” by helpng to build their own home or the homes of others. CNN claimed this Virginia house built in December 2021 was the first Habitat 3D printed house. However, Habitat says they built one in May 2021 in Arizona. It was three bedrooms, two baths with 1,738 square feet of livable space, and a total of 2,433 square feet. All internal and external walls were 3D printed, so 70 – 80% of the home’s construction was completed with the 3D printing process.
So although 3D printed houses may become ubiquitous in the future, they are available now, on a limited basis, even to low-income individuals.
Would you want to live in a 3D-printed house? Leave a comment below.
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