Cheap 3D printing houses, housing solutions for more than 1 billion people around the world

A startup is developing 3D printing solutions at a cost of only $ 4,000 / unit.

Food, water and shelter are basic human needs. However, according to the World Resources Institute, currently there are about 1.2 billion people in the world without houses. Currently, ICON - a startup in Austin - has introduced a solution to solve this problem with low cost 3D printed housing.

The new method helps print a 60.3 square meter house in just 12 to 24 hours.

ICON has developed a method to print a 60.3-square-meter house for a period of 12 to 24 hours. This is an insignificant period of time when compared to building a similar house according to the conventional method. If everything goes as planned, there will be a community of about 100 houses built for residents in El Salvador next year. The company has partnered with New Story, a non-profit organization specializing in international housing solutions. Alexandria Lafci, co-founder of New Story, told The Verge: "We are building houses for communities in Haiti, El Salvador and Bolivia."

The first version of the house published in Austin is a long step toward providing accommodation for those who are less likely to buy a home. Jason Ballard, one of the three founders of ICON, said he will test this home model as an office to test its features in practice. In addition, Ballard also runs Treehouse, a company that provides sustainable home solutions.

Their 3D printing houses will have a waste of minimal construction and a significant reduction in labor costs.

Using the Vulcan printer, ICON can print the entire house for $ 10,000 and when the technology completes the price will be reduced to about $ 4,000 per house. Ballard said: 'It's much cheaper than typical American houses.' In the future, ICON is capable of printing houses with an area of ​​about 74.3 square meters, roughly equivalent to an average apartment in New York today (80.4 square meters).

The recently tested house has a living room, a bedroom, a bathroom and a curved porch. Ballard said: "There are a few other companies that also produce printing houses, but most of them have an unimaginable design. The use of conventional cement provides peace of mind about the quality of the architecture block. I think if they I print with plastic, we will encounter some problems'.

Upon completing the material inspection and design refinement, the company will transfer the Vulcan printer to El Salvador to begin construction. ICON said their 3D printing houses will have a waste of minimal construction and a significant reduction in labor costs. The company also plans to build houses with 3D printing methods in the US. This is an attractive solution to solve the shortage of housing.

ICON even set the ambition to design and construct residential buildings in space for people. However, it is a story of the future and now they are focusing on their cheap 3D printing housing project.