If you’ve been following tech news throughout the decade, you would think that 3D printing should have revolutionized our lives by now. It seemed for quite some time that there would be a 3D printer in every home, printing a new bike for little Timmy and a chess set for little Susie whenever needed. However, that hasn’t exactly been the case.
But despite years of hype, 3D printers have not been the disruptive force that headlines such as TechCrunch’s ominous 2012 “Home 3D Printing is Killing the Manufacturing Industry” article would have you believe. Sheesh, what a bunch of drama queens. Despite this, innovations are undoubtedly being made in the space, and 3D-printed homes are a definite sign of that.
While there have been rumblings about 3D-printed homes for quite some time now (I even remember writing about them over a year and a half ago), they seem to be on their way to the mainstream thanks to a collaboration between two residential companies, Forge New and Sunconomy. This teamup should result in the release of the We Print Houses 3D printing system, which looks to be available to contractors and builders across the U.S.
Not only are 3D-printed home more affordable, they also excel in terms of energy efficiency and durability, with the homes resistant to floods and harsh winds. And, while a house generally takes anywhere from three to four months to build, these planned 3D-printed homes will only take “a matter of weeks” to build, according to Larry Haines of We Print Houses.
The very first of these homes will be constructed (printed?) this February in Lago Vista, Texas. In order to show off the intuitive design of the homes, the very first project will be built on a sloped lot. With the technology likely to become more widely available, the future of 3D-printed construction will be one to watch.
Would you live in a 3D-printed home? More importantly, would you design your very own 3D-printed smart home? Make sure to leave a comment below!
