The evolving capabilities of 3D printing may help the housing industry respond to the affordable-home crisis. Some organizations now believe the process could be the answer to ramping up affordable housing across the globe. And it could do so quickly—you can print a home in just 24 hours.
Icon, a construction tech startup in Austin, and a housing nonprofit called New Story unveiled its first two 3D-printed homes that were constructed for low-income families in Tabasco, Mexico. The 500-square-foot homes were printed in just 24 hours.
The 3D printer uses a cement-based material to create textured walls with curved edges. The homes feature two bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, and bathroom.
The Tabasco community will serve as a prototype for the potential of using 3D printing to respond to affordable housing shortages. Eventually, the community is to include 50 3D-printed homes for low-income residents.
Source: “These 3D-Printed Homes Will House Low-Income Families,” Curbed.com (Dec. 11, 2019)
