Austin Startup Is Working To Transform The Future Of Housing With 3D Printing
Interest in tiny homes has grown rapidly over the last 10 years, not only in the U.S., but in other areas well. And so too has the interest surrounding 3D printers, with researchers and different companies from many countries exploring the vast possibility for their use.
You can find a variety of different tiny home organizations and communities that have sprung up in various states, and other areas as well. You'll also be able to find 3D printers being used to print a variety of objects from household items, to living organs, food, and more.
One startup from Texas has brought the two together; using 3D printers to print tiny homes.
By printing the home, this helps to drastically reduce the price of the home, the 3D printer is able to produce an affordable housing unit that costs roughly $4,000. The Austin-based startup, known as Icon, is working to revolutionize human shelter and use innovative tools to help drastically reduce traditional construction costs.
Icon has managed to be the first company in the country to secure a building permit and successfully build a 3D printed home.
The 650-square foot home that they were able to print in Austin, Texas, was built in a few hours and it only cost them around $10,000 to make.
Compare that to the traditional build of an average home in the United States, which is currently estimated to be roughly $237,000 and it takes several months to complete.
Sadly, the actual problem underlying homelessness isn't the time or cost necessary to build a home. As you note, many homeless make do with tents, cars, or literal cardboard shacks. The problem cannot be printed away, as it is sites where folks can live in the tents, cars, and shacks.
Thanks!
you're right most won't have access, but i believe some cities have been funding the tiny homes for them which saves them money in the long run in emergency services when they inevitably end up there because they don't' have adequate housing. The tiny homes certainly don't address the fact that our dollar is continually worthless, no😉, or that central planning has made a complete mess of the housing market
The problem is that you need real property on which to site the homes. A building lot can run from $20k or so on up, depending on location, location, location. The permitting process usually runs ~$5k or so, more than the cost of the printed tiny home.
Printing tiny homes doesn't even address the primary issue causing homelessness. As a builder, I am intimately aware not only of the dollar costs or property and permitting, but the tangled red tape invariably impeding any construction.
can't forget about all those extra costs and restrictions from gov :) 😂
This looks like a great way to build lots of affordable housing.
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Unfortunately, i believe none of this.
And, i do not believe it, because i know too much.
All of the costs were not included in the 3D printed houses.
And it was compared to very expensive, lots of extras house (with financing)
Currently, it is far easier and better to build houses with prefab pieces.
Thinks like compacted earth adobe.
I am glad they are working on this 3D house printing, but the kudos they get is way out of proportion to what they are doing.
Compacted earth tire earth-ships should be in the news all the time... but no, you see this crap. And i do mean crap, as they aren't building real houses, they are building houses that are easy to 3D print.
isn't that's a shame ..😃 because they're doing some incredible work✌ and hopefully the variety of businesses in the US and other regions that have been constructing different projects know how to accurately assess their business costs 🙈
This looks like an amazing initiative
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I think the technology is definitely very cool, but I imagine it'll be some time before this is actually something functionally available to people, on the level of picking up the phone and calling someone: "Yes, I'd like you to come over and build me a house on my land."
The thing that also worries me (being a bit skeptical here) is the marketplace this will be brought into. The promise is fast and low cost housing... but will the reality be companies saying "Wow, we can now produce something we can sell for $200,000 for just $10,000, instead of the $60,000 is cost before. More profit for US!" As a result of which we might have faster housing, but ultimately nobody is better off...
I agree it's going to take some time,.. :) and they've been working with nonprofit organizations to try and get the housing to those who need it and can't afford an overpriced unit, also many of the tiny home units are already being sold at those low $ numbers. They are trying to provide something that can compete with the more overpriced units, so if they are going to price it at something outrageous like 200k then there are probably many more options that people would go with in the market in their area, for that price that would get them more space etc? I doubt they'd sell many if they were doing that, but there's nothing to stop them from adopting such a profit margin
¯_(ツ)_/¯
Warning to potential readers of this post: Watching tiny houses vids can be addictive!
Great post man!
Housing prices/ building prices are crazy! The future and 3d printing could help.
thanks for the comment, glad to see you posting again!
yeeeeah! it's just what I was watching some days ago!
so cool! I was impressed greatly, and as far as I dream of my own house I watch such videos to be in the topic. The only problem is the price of this machine. To buy it for one house is too much.
Where can I 3d print my house in uk?
Its great that the home only cost 10k to make but it will probably be sold for 12 - 15k and that doesnt take into account the location of the home (land) which could add a considerable amount to that price as well.
Its amazing how far 3d printing is coming and feel this is one of the most underrated new technology of the last 10 years or so. 3d printing is going to have a huge impact across many industries in the coming years especially as they perfect 3d printing with steel and other metals.
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