ICON Introduces 3D-Printed Homes for the Developing World
They can be made in just a day.
3D printing isn’t a new concept but a nonprofit company is putting a new twist on the idea by creating affordable homes. New Story, the Silicon Valley-based company is aiming to rethink how to build housing for the world’s poorest communities. Working in tandem with construction tech company, Icon, the two companies have created a 3D printer than can build a house in a day for around $4,000 USD.
New Story has focused on creating low-cost housing in poor communities but it soon discovered that traditional building meant that the process was always slow, so not enough houses could be created in time. The company’s CEO, Brett Hagler, choose 3D printing despite being originally skeptical of the idea. “We were very skeptical of the viability of this. It took doing a lot of research and a lot of due diligence to figure out that it could actually solve for those three design questions.”
The cost of the 3D printed home could eventually drop to $3,500 USD, with homes currently being built in El Salvador using the technique. You can find out more information about the project by visiting New Story’s website.
In other architecture news, Max Núñez Arquitectos created this majestic home on the slope of a hill.