3D Printing Home Building

3D printing home building
Healthy Home (infographic from hud.gov)

When you think of modern home construction, you typically think about (wood) sticks and bricks.  And it’s been that way for decades.  But since its introduction in 1983, tech visionaries thought about using the 3D printing to build houses.  What was once a futuristic dream of 3D printing home building is now a reality.

In his 2017 commentary, Sean Mashian lays out how 3D printing will change the landscape of home building and real estate (The impact of 3D printing on real estate; Cornell Real Estate Review; 2017. 15, p64-65.).   He discussed how the technology was used and the potential for the housing industry.  His assessment was that large scale commercial 3D printing technology was rudimentary and expensive.  Instead, the industry mostly used the tech for smaller projects, such as scale models for new home developments.  However, like any new technology, he expected large scale commercial 3D printers to become more commonplace as the tech emerges.  He predicted the potential of 3D printing growth, just as internet tech and e-commerce grew in the early 2000’s.

In order to grow the technology of 3D printing home building , pioneers like Apis Cor (apis-cor.com) are needed.  Apis Cor claimed to be the first company to develop and deploy a mobile construction 3D printer capable of printing a complete house on site.  About five years ago, Apis Cor made headlines when they “printed” a house in 24 hours.  Although. the one level 400sf home was rudimentary, it demonstrated the flexibility of the 3D printing technology.  The home was 3D printed completely on site and in mid-winter. 

The 3D tech is already being used in some manner in the housing industry. A 2013 article in Kitchen & Bath Design News (Design and the 3D Printing Revolution) reported on design companies that were using 3D printing to manufacture personalized home fixtures.  And in 2019, the National Association of Homebuilders reported that 3D printing tech is already being used by a small number of builders to produce architectural details for homes.

A January 11th National Association of Home Builders release discusses how 3D printing can change the industry (How 3D-Printed Structures Could Disrupt Housing; nahb.org).  Although the NAHB states the tech is still developing, there is a belief that it will address several concerns about housing:

First, it will make homes more affordable.  Currently, 3D printed homes are relatively small, which reduces materials and time to build the home.  Automation significantly reduces labor costs.  Additionally, some 3D printed homes can be built without a foundation, which also reduces time, materials, and costs. 

Second, home building will be more sustainable.  The technology inherently has little waste.  Each house is “printed” with the necessary material.  Besides incorporating green technologies, the structure is printed in such a way that it improves energy efficiency. 

Third, 3D printing home building designs are easily changed in an automated system.  The design flexibility can make numerous shapes that can address fast paced changes to the housing market.

And last, building delays are almost eliminated.  Whether the houses are printed on site, (such as Apis Cor’s technology) or built in a facility, the rapid building time reduces weather impact.  Depending on the home size and printer capability, a home can be built in as little as 24 hours or up to several weeks.  This type of productivity greatly reduces time and delay costs due to labor and materials.

By Dan Krell
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3D printed homes

3D printed homes
3D printed home building

Imagine a time when you can print a new door knob, a sink trap, a cabinet, or any other house component right in your home.  That time is rapidly approaching, thanks to 3D printing technology.  3D printed homes may be your house of the future.

When Sean Mashian recently wrote about the potential of 3D printing technology (The impact of 3D printing on real estate; Cornell Real Estate Review; 2017. 15, p64-65.), he was correct to say that the technology has the potential to change the home construction industry.  3D printing may also be the ultimate affordable housing solution, printing on demand homes and apartments at a fraction of stick-built homes.

Mashian stated:

Currently, 3D printing is most often used in the real estate industry as a way of creating scale models for new developments. As the technology grows and becomes more commonplace, there may be huge changes coming to real estate from this emerging technology…Right now, 3D printing is expensive and still in rudimentary stages. As we learned from the explosion of e-commerce just a decade ago however, a rapidly growing trend can quickly become a way of life. If 3D printing continues its swift rise to prominence, real estate will change and well positioned assets stand to benefit.

But 3D printing is already making an impact on housing design and construction, as Eric Schimelpfenig wrote in 2013 (Design and the 3D Printing Revolution; Kitchen & Bath Design News; 2013, p20).  He talked about one New York company that was already manufacturing personalized 3D printed bathroom fixtures.  Besides custom faucets, 3D printing tech will also bring us on-demand custom cabinets and other fixtures too.  Schimelpfenig said, “that future isn’t far away… and it’s going to be awesome.

Schimelpfenig’s future is unfolding before us as 3D printing technology is rapidly advancing.  The technology has come a long way since the first 3D printer was created by Charles Hull in 1983.  Originally, 3D printing was used for 3D modeling.  As the technology become cheaper and widely available, 3D printed modeling become a hit with hobbyists.  However, the potential in commercial applications didn’t really make strides until the turn of the century.

Although, 3D printing is not yet widely used in home construction, there are companies already 3D printing entire homes.  Apis Cor (apis-cor.com) not only builds 3D printed homes, but claims to be the first company to develop a mobile construction 3D printer capable of printing an entire building completely on site.

We are the first company to develop a mobile construction 3D printer which is capable of printing whole buildings completely on site.
Also we are people. Engineers, managers, builders and inventors sharing one common idea – to change the construction industry so that millions of people will have an opportunity to improve their living conditions.

Apis Cor 3D printed a home in Russia last December in 24 hours.  The one level home was rudimentary, and had 38 square meters (about 409 square feet) of living space.  But this was a demonstration of the flexibility of the 3D printing technology.  The endeavor not only showed how a home can be 3D printed on site, but that it can also be done in the cold of winter.  The company claims that 3D printed homes can be any shape, and designs are only restricted by the laws of physics.

Apis Cor states that 3D printed homes can also cost less because an onsite 3D printer “frees up resources.” Construction costs are lower because there is a cost reduction in labor, construction waste disposal, construction machinery rentals, tools, and finishings.  They claim that one 3D printer “can replace a whole team of construction workers, saving time without loss of quality.”

Original published at https://dankrell.com/blog/2017/09/03/3d-printed-homes/

Copyright© Dan Krell
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Disclaimer. This article is not intended to provide nor should it be relied upon for legal and financial advice. Readers should not rely solely on the information contained herein, as it does not purport to be comprehensive or render specific advice. Readers should consult with an attorney regarding local real estate laws and customs as they vary by state and jurisdiction. Using this article without permission is a violation of copyright laws.