The Herman Trend Alert
July 13, 2022
3D Printed Homes
Though I spoke at this year's South by Southwest (SWSX) iconic event in Austin, I was disappointed to have missed this extraordinary development in home design and construction. Using a Vulcan printer, the Austin-based construction technology company ICON showed its brand-new 3D-printed home.
A Whole Development of these Homes
Subsequently, a builder in East Austin sold four two to four-bedroom houses constructed using ICON's technology and starting at USD$450,000. At the time that number was approximately the median home price in Austin; it is higher now. The Austin-based firm Logan Architecture designed these homes, and the developer was 3Strands of Kansas City. Each house required only five to seven days of printing time, and they're between 1,000 and 2,000 square feet. As if the savings and design were not enough, the homes have large covered front porches, extensive front yards, covered parking, open concept floor plans, bespoke interior design, vaulted master bedrooms ceilings, large North-facing windows, secluded office/bedrooms, and a minimalist architectural aesthetic.
How the Technology Works
Imagine a gigantic 3D printer; that is exactly how this technology works. Watching the room-size printer extrude concrete that turns into a house is spellbinding. According to ICON, the material used in this breakthrough technology is a proprietary cementitious material called Lavacrete---more durable than traditional construction materials, and 30 percent less expensive. You can watch numerous videos on the ICONbuild.com website. To be precise, ICON 3D-printed the first floor of each of house in the new East 17th Street Residences development; the upper floors were built using conventional construction. My guess is that they are already sold and occupied.
House Zero---a Model Residence
Showcased on ICON's homepage, House Zero is the first home in ICON's Exploration Series, and it is truly beautiful. Designed by the award-winning firm, Lake|Flato Architects, it features a higher level of architectural and energy efficient design. This elevated design highlights the benefits of resiliency and sustainability only found in homebuilding through 3D printing. Located in East Austin, home of the future features a 2,000+ sq-ft, a 3 bedroom/2.5 bath layout, with a bonus 350 sq-ft, 1 bedroom/1 bath Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU). ADUs are very popular in cities like Los Angeles where there is a severe shortage of rental units. Blending the traditional and the leading edge, the house offers mid-century modernist ranch house qualities with the digital possibilities of additive construction, House Zero is a major advancement in modern architecture. In fact, it is so spectacular that I want to buy it.
Take a Look at ICON's Fabulous Home in Austin
If you want to see why I am so enthusiastic about this technology, take a look at ICONbuild.com. Then, you will understand why I am impressed, but fair warning, don't be surprised if you want one, too. But wait, there's more. . .
Printing Extraterrestrial Construction
In addition to building its 3D-printed structures on planet Earth, ICON is working with NASA on research and development of a space-based construction system, with the ultimate goal of putting buildings on the Moon and Mars. To get ready for future long-duration missions to Mars, ICON proposes to use additive construction to 3D print a Martian analog habitat known as Mars Dune Alpha. To support long-duration, exploration-class space missions, the 1,700 square-foot structure will simulate a realistic Mars habitat. At the same time ICON is working with NASA to develop an autonomous additive construction system for further exploration of the Moon. Titled Project Olympus, this project is designed to imagine humanity's first home on another world. The world-renowned architecture firm BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group has been tapped for this audacious project.
What ICON Technology Can Mean for the Future
Resilient, sustainable, and 30 percent less expensive---not to mention striking, to me Icon seems to have a invented a technology which is bound to catch on. Watch for new uses for this leading-edge technology. I love the idea of chopping down fewer trees to build homes.
Next week's Herman Trend Alert: Making Homes More Resilient to Weather
The Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) tells us that winds are becoming more destructive, and most buildings simply aren't ready. In this Alert, we will explore how we can redesign homes to withstand the coming severe weather. All we need to do is look at the increasing frequency of storms and we know we have a problem. Unless and until we stop giving Mother Nature the building blocks for worse storms, we sorely need this redesign.
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