Imagine a world in which homes are not built brick by brick but layer by layer. World in which these types of houses are up to 45% cheaper and up to 20 times faster to make. This is the reality of 3D-printed houses and the world that we live in right now.
Background on the 3D-printed facilities
The first 3D-printed was originated in 1981 and has been explored and developed in various ways. One of which was using this technology in the construction sites. The first significant milestone occurred in 2014 when the Chinese company, Winsun claimed to have printed 10 houses in a single day. Since then, there have been many projects and initiatives to expand the topic of 3D-printed constructions. Just four years later in 2018, a company from the United States called ICON unveiled their prototype of a 3D-printed house, which revolutionised the real estate world and at the same time a possible solution to the global housing shortage.
The superiority of 3D-printed homes
Two of the most important for the customers advantages of 3D-printed houses are of course the cost efficiency and the speed of construction. These ascendancies come from automating the construction process and using materials more efficiently, 3D-printed houses are being built with less waste, lower labour costs, and decreased construction time. However, these are not the only benefits. Before printing the house it is possible to customise it in unconventional ways, which might be challenging to achieve using conventional construction methods. At the same time, this method uses environmentally friendly materials, and the process reduces resource consumption making these houses very sustainable. Last but not least 3D-printing machines combined with abandoned traditional wooden houses in China give them a second life and make them into traditional houses of the future.
Cons of 3D-printed houses
Because printing houses are a fairly new topic, which is not even a decade on the market, there is a huge lack of skilled workforce. It requires totally different skills than traditional construction and the market faces a shortage of qualified workers. The next vice arising from this new technology is the limited material compatibility. The printers can only use specific types of concrete or other printable materials, which puts a lot of restrictions on the building project and prevents the building of wooden or brick houses. The next ability that printers have to develop is creating large and complex structures. Building multi-storey structures and whole communities is not possible due to technical and logistical hurdles. Previously I mentioned that the 3D-printed houses are environmentally friendly because they use less material, however, the printers consume a lot of energy which is critical while making large-scale projects and managing the construction process. One of the most important, for the future homeowner, features is the durability and long-term performance of the house. There are no studies, that guarantee that 3D-printed houses are reliable, can withstand extreme weather or are ageing well over time. Lastly, the printing process relies heavily on the technology, especially the printers and the software. Any technical issue that might be encountered during printing a house might disrupt construction projects, and lead to delays and increased costs.
My point of view
Due to printing houses being a fairly new way of building, I’m sceptical about it. Of course, the vision of it as a solution to a global housing shortage is a great thing, but the defects that there reaffirm my belief, that it will take time until the machines are trustworthy, the range of materials possible to use will increase, the printed houses will be safe to live in and even after a long time their build quality and safety will remain.
Sources:
www.dezeen.com/2023/07/26/big-icon-model-3d-printed-house-comments/
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/3d-printing-on-earth-and-moon-60-minutes/
www.dezeen.com/2023/05/10/traditional-house-future-john-lin-lidia-ratoi-3d-printing-china/
https://chat.openai.com/ – version 3.5
Great article and interesting topic! It’s really interesting how it will look and work in the future))
In my opinion, 3-D printed buildings are a perspective idea, especially in the future. Technologies develop every day, and I believe that in a few years, humans will have a chance to build large buildings using only 3-D printers or mix 3-D printers with usual building; It will be profitable, faster and better for the environment.
AI is insane. Amazing article
Great article! I never heard about printing houses before and I think it’s insane what AI can do nowadays. I think 3D printers can give us a lot of benefits in the long run. Can’t wait to see how it will develop in the future and would it become more popular.