Homes of the Future: The Rise of 3D Printed Houses
Once thought to be a thing of science fiction, the 3D printing industry has witnessed steady growth over the past decade. In fact, recent figures show that the industry’s market size is expected to reach $62.79 billion by 2028, with an impressive CAGR of 21% in the next 7 years. Aside from most people being familiar with smaller-scale 3D printing machines producing art and jewelry, the industry’s growth can be greatly attributed to its industrial applications in the fields of medicine and manufacturing.
Now, the industry is further expanding to architecture and construction, as can be seen in the rise of 3D printed houses. Here, we'll explore the homes of the future, made possible by 3D printing.
A brief introduction to the technology
Although the concept of 3D printing sounds quite modern, the technology has been around for more than 160 years already. In 1859, François Willème, a French sculptor and photographer, created photo sculptures of living people. Over the next century, materials used for 3D printing have also evolved, including the invention of photopolymers, which were used to form casting molds.
Then, in 1984, stereolithography was launched into the manufacturing world. This technology uses an automated laser beam, which takes the 3D model and builds it layer by layer from a liquid polymer that hardens on contact with laser light. The 1990s saw significant improvements in the industry as more innovations, like the fused deposition modeling and selective laser sintering machines, were produced.
Today, large-scale 3D printers are created with PCBs collaboratively designed by teams, which ensure efficiency and consistency — both in how the machine takes information from the computer and prints out the concrete material accordingly. This enables it to place concrete with a precision that ensures minimum wastage of material and no overloading of a building’s foundations, all in a shorter time than manual construction. This makes 3D printers an efficient asset in the construction industry.
The Key to Low-cost Housing
3D printed houses are taking the lead in low-cost real estate, starting from the visualization of the houses up to their construction. This technology can be used in creating architectural designs and scale models, as well as printing complete or nearly complete houses. Across this process, the tech promises sustainability and affordability.
Already, California-based construction company Mighty Buildings has started working on “the world’s first planned community of 3D printed homes,” claiming that their solar-powered construction process removes 99% of construction waste and is 30-40% cheaper. Their 3D printers create walls made of a stone-like, fire- and water-resistant material, which is then hardened by ultraviolet light. These walls are layered and filled with insulation foam, and robotic arms give these surfaces designs and dimensions.
On the other side of the world, India’s first 3D printed house was introduced earlier this year. Built by the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras startup Tvasta, the 600-square foot house consists of a bedroom, a hall, and a kitchen designed and printed entirely using concrete 3D printing technology. Located within the university campus, this masterpiece was finished in just five days, which is significantly less than the four- or five-month timeframe of traditional construction.
Meanwhile, in Europe, 3D printed housing is slowly taking hold as well. In fact, last year, a family in France moved into a four-bedroom prototype of a 3D printed house. The property took 54 hours of printing and only cost £176,000 (£242,773) — 20% cheaper than conventional construction.
Necessity, truly, is the mother of invention. And as the need arises, people always find ways to adapt and innovate for the better. 3D printing technology and its countless applications in various fields are just an example of how life can be more sustainable and affordable in the future.
