Stories Archive | Page 8 of 9 | 3D Printed House News

3D-printed neighborhoods are popping up across America: ‘[This] is not science fiction’

The keystroke “cmd + print” is producing an unlikely result around the country: an explosion in the appearance of 3D-printed homes.

And while the startup sequence is likely a little more involved than pushing a few buttons, the process in fact involves giant printers that put down layers of concrete mixture — that form home exteriors — with speed and precision.

Forbes and other news agencies are reporting on the trend, which includes neighborhoods of printed homes popping up in numerous states. Proponents of the tech see it as a faster, cheaper, and cleaner way to build houses, according to the Forbes report.

“I see 3D printing as a transformational disruptive technology,” Basil Starr, founder of Beverly Hills-based Palari Group — the developer of a 3D community in Desert Hot Springs, California — said in the news story. These dwellings can be constructed in about half the time as a traditional build, per the report.

What is a 3D-printed home?

Though the technology and details vary by developer, the concept is fairly constant.

High-tech, automated, and pre-programmed machines jet out layers of a concrete building slurry that hardens to form a home’s exterior. The printers, like a 20-foot-tall one used by California’s Mighty Buildings, are large.

#cool_newsletter_53e74c5a-ee3d-46f7-9b1c-f120b3daa4ca .cool_newsletter__inner span{color:#000000}

JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER
Good news, green hacks, and the latest cool clean tech — straight to your inbox every week!

Why is this important news?

Building our homes and facilities is dirty work. In the United States, about 40% of air pollution comes from building construction and daily heating, cooling, and lighting, according to the American Institute of Architects.

3D tech is one solution as we develop better ways to build. A Singapore study from 2020 found that a 3D bathroom produced nearly 86% less air pollution than one made with regular methods, according to ScienceDirect.

“It’s about having a better process for how we build our homes,” Evelyn Woodman, co-founder of Citizen Robotics, told the Detroit Free Press. The nonprofit finished Michigan’s first 3D home earlier this year.

How will the tech impact me?

If you are planning to build a home the traditional way, it will cost an average of $329,000, not including the land, per Forbes. The process will also contribute to the industry’s major air pollution tally.

The homes come in a variety of sizes and stories, offering all the modern amenities. Many seem to have flat roofs and chic interior design concepts, though styles vary.

“We can typically do it quicker than a normal concrete or stick-built home would be,” Mannheimer told the Free Press. “We can do it with less labor. We can do it with less expensive material, and the material that we’re using tends to be more sustainable. It’s stronger than traditional concrete by at least two or three times, which means it can stand up to most major storms. It doesn’t burn.”

Even if you aren’t in the market, you might notice this tech at work in a nearby community soon. In addition to Michigan, printers are making homes in a growing number of states:

In California, Mighty Buildings is pumping out house exteriors in Desert Hot Springs and Rancho Mirage. The company’s printers use 60% recycled composite stone. That is of note, as critics referenced by CNN question the use of concrete in 3D builds, citing air pollution.

Texas is home to the world’s largest 3D community, planned for 100 dwellings, per CNN. There are 46-foot-wide printers at work on walls on the site. To maximize sustainability, the homes have solar panels. The 1,500-square-foot to 2,100-square-foot homes with three or four bedrooms can be listed for nearly $600,000, according to CNN.

On the East Coast, the first 3D home in Richmond, Virginia, was printed in 2022. The exterior of the three-bedroom, two-bath house was printed in about 15 hours with “less labor and … materials” than lumber builds, according to TV station 12 On Your Side. The project was made possible in part by a $500,000 grant from Virginia Housing.

A company in Japan might make the tech accessible to most people everywhere — if it travels overseas. Serendix uses 3D printers and CNC machining to create homes for under $40,000. They might not be for everyone, as one model is less than 600 square feet, Fast Company reports. It looks like a dwelling from Star Wars.

What’s next?

While more 3D neighborhoods are likely on the way, ICON (the company working on the Texas community) CEO Jason Ballard told CNN that the tech could also be a solution to homelessness, as well as a way to provide sanctuary after disasters.

The CNN report notes that 3D building codes have yet to be “widely adopted,” a benchmark that will earn confidence for the tech’s strength and stability.

“3D printing is not science fiction,” Ballard said to the news agency. “In the future, our bet is that this will be humanity’s best hope for a housing solution that matches our highest values and ideals.”

Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the coolest innovations improving our lives and saving our planet.

Cool Picks

Studio RAP made a 3D-printed ceramic facade for a store in Amsterdam

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Habitat for Humanity announces plans to build Tuolumne County’s first 3D-printed homes

A local nonprofit group affiliated with the global Habitat for Humanity organization has announced plans to build the first 3D-printed homes in Tuolumne County that would house aging-in-place individuals at its current workforce housing development near Columbia.Habitat for Humanity of Tuolumne County first announced plans for 3D-printed homes at its Parrotts Ferry Village in May, and Trinity Abila, the nonprofit’s chief executive officer, presented the plans during an annual meeting of the California County Planning Commissioners Association at Black Oak Casino Resort in October.

Granite Geek: How Maine is using 3D printers for houses made of wood pulp

In my career, I’ve encountered several non-traditional ways to build a home, from stacking hay bales to rolling out plastic tubes to using 3D-printed concrete. They’ve been fun to talk about but never made the slightest dent in the industry. The labor-intensive process of “stick-building” houses onsite remains the norm. That failure doesn’t mean we should […]

Emaar reveals Dubai’s first 3D-printed villa with smart house technologies

SAGA builds the largest 3D-printed circular-shaped house in Scandinavia

The Best Holiday Decorations to 3D Print for Christmas

Published on December 14, 2023 by Jamie D.Christmas is just around the corner! One of the first things that comes to mind is undoubtedly the season’s atmosphere, its magic, its decorations and all the lights that illuminate our homes. And decoration has no limits, be it figurines, simple patterns, traditional colors, garlands and ornaments, anything goes! In this context, additive manufacturing plays a key role as it allows you to create 3D printed Christmas decorations from anywhere in just a few simple steps. All you need is a 3D printer or a manufacturing service near you to create your own customized decorations. Today we bring you a list of different decoration ideas available on platforms such as Thingiverse and Cults. Let your creativity run wild and enjoy this holiday season with a very special touch!Your Very Own Customizable Christmas Tree(s)Surely you have heard the phrase “less is more”. However, now that Christmas is coming, why settle for a single Christmas tree when you can have several thanks to new technologies? This STL file allows you to create original Christmas trees that you can also customize with colors and designs as you see fit. Specifically, the Cults profile has published 6 models of Christmas trees that users can print at home. But it has also made available to users a customizer (compatible with OpenSCAD) where you can customize them and create your own. The 3D printer initially used by the creator is the Anet AM8 and the design does not require any support during the manufacturing process. You can download the file at this link HERE.Credits: MIGHTYNOZZLE / Cults3DChristmas Cookie CuttersCookies are an absolute must at Christmastime. So why not start a crafty tradition of making cookies using 3D-printed cutters? It’s possible thanks to 3D printing! All you have to do is imagine the shape you would like to give to your holiday treat: a tree, a star, Father Christmas, so many possibilities. In our case, we have chosen the festive Christmas stocking in which all knick-knack gifts are slipped. Don’t hesitate to go to Thingiverse to find a myriad of shapes and models. You can download the model these Christmas cookie cutter files on Thingiverse HERE.Credits: OogiMe / Thingiverse3D Printed, Large-Scale Multi-Piece SnowmanWhy wait for the first fluffy snowfall of the season to create your own snowman? If you live in areas where this meteorological phenomenon is not very common, or too inconsistent to create snow figures, here’s a solution. Just 3D-print your very own large-scale frosty figure! All you will need are filaments in the right colors, so you don’t have to paint it later, and a 3D printer with a build volume large enough to create each part. According to the author of the design, once all the pieces have been printed and assembled correctly, the snowman measures 316 mm high and 175 mm wide at the base. What are you waiting for to start creating yours?You can download the files for this snowman on Thingiverse HEREThe Traditional 3D Printed Christmas ReindeerFor nearly a decade, you’ve been able to find the files you need in order to 3D-print your own Christmas deer ready to download from Thingiverse. So, holiday lovers, you can’t leave them out of this year’s decor! By this point, it’s a tradition! Once again proposed by the designer yeg3d, he explains having used a 3D printer based on the FDM process to manufacture them. In order to simplify the process, it also clarifies that printing does not require any media. The designer adds that at a print speed of 88mm / s, printing took 6 hours and 49 minutes. Finally, to get a colorful and shiny final piece, he recommends using metallic paint as well as glitter paint. All that remains is to place the 3D printed deer at the foot of the tree! You can download the files for this reindeer on Thingverse HERE.A 3D Printed Star to Top Your Christmas TreeNo matter the size or the fullness of the branches, no Christmas tree is complete without a topper. And what better to use than a star, symbolizing the one that led the three wise men to the manger? Now with this next free Christmas STL file from PLONUMARR, you can have your own 3D printed version. This star topper is the perfect addition to a fully decorated Christmas tree, made even better by the fact that it is hollow. This allows a user to add a light to illuminate the star from within, a stunning display at the top of the tree. Though not many instructions have been left by the creator in terms of printing, it is noted that a dual-extruder printer may be preferable to allow for the main light hole and two drain holes to be filled with filler material that can then be dissolved after printing. Check out the file HERE.Photo Credits: PLONUMARR / Cults3DWindow Decorations to Share the Joy with the Outside WorldWho doesn’t like to admire the decorated windows at Christmas time? Or shop windows? Adhesive photos, stickers, glitter, artificial snow, light: everything is good for enhancing the room! We therefore offer you some Christmas decorations printed in 3D to be stuck directly on your windows. By using flexible TPU, you won’t have too much trouble creating original objects and placing them on all your windows. You can of course paint your creations once they are out of the 3D printer! You can download this tree topper HERE.Credits: barb_3dprintny / ThingiverseAssemble a 3D Printed Christmas SnowflakeThis snowflake is quite simple to print since it comes as a kit! The dazzling geometric components all print in one piece, you can then peel them off and build the snowflake by hand. The Ysoft Be3D file is available for free and has already been uploaded 2.6K times! You can make it with an FDM 3D printer and in any color you prefer. If you live in a place where there is no snow, this is the perfect solution! Ready to decorate your home with 3D printed snow? Get yours HERE.Credits: YSOFT_BE3D / Cults3DA 3D Printed Gingerbread HouseWhat would Christmas be without gingerbread? Although gingerbread men are delicious, the decorative gingerbread houses are even more impressive! To avoid the temptation of eating the cute and sugary little house, you could simply print one yourself this year. A 3D-printed gingerbread house will not disintegrate into crumbs and is more durable and inexpensive. You do have to pay a small fee for the STL file, but then the fun can begin. The decorative parts of the house are printed separately and then glued together. If you have filament in several colors, you can print out different colored pieces. Once printed, you can then use the gingerbread house either as a decorative piece or as a container, so long as you don’t glue the roof on. Learn more about the print process from the creator HERE.Credits: PA1_MAKER / Cults3DArticulated 3D Christmas ToysBesides being a time when families get together and give each other gifts, something that characterizes Christmas is the decoration. On this occasion, here we have a fantastic idea to help decorate your home thanks to this STL file. The file includes a series of articulated Christmas figurines such as reindeer, elves and Santa Claus himself, so you can print them at home and amaze your guests with this beautiful decoration. With over 50k views and nearly 6k downloads, this is the perfect file for this Christmas season. Check it out for yourself HERE and add some Christmas cheer to your home!Credits: BQ_3D / Cults3D3D Printed Christmas Tree OrnamentAre you still missing the finishing touches to your Christmas tree or would you like to decorate your tree with something a little more unique this year? Or are you still looking for a gift for friends and family? Then we have just the thing for you! No one has a 3D-printed Christmas tree bauble like this in their decoration collection. It’s hard to believe that the pretty red star inside the white ball structure, including a hook for hanging, can easily be produced at home using your own printer. The finished sphere measures 82.8 x 96.3 x 85 mm and can be conjured up from the 3D printer within five hours. The layer thickness here is 1.2 mm. The Christmas ornament was printed at a speed of 50 mm/s with a PLA thickness of 1.75 mm and at an extruder temperature of 200 degrees. You can find the STL file for printing yourself HERE.Credits: LUCI / Cults3D3D Printed Sleigh and Reindeer OutlinesYou don’t have to wait until the night before Christmas to get your very own set of reindeer towing Santa’s sleigh. Adorn your walls, office or classroom with these crisp, detailed silhouettes. The author of the designs, reichwec on Thingiverse has included the STLs, as well as providing options to cut them out of foam if needed. Print them in any color you like, from classic black to Rudolph red, or anything that gets you in the festive spirit. Because the sleigh and reindeer are separate files, you are free to print as many as fits your need, from the classic 4 to a sleigh setup as pictured below, or why not print your own individual custom reindeer so that you too can call out, “Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donner and Blitzen!” Find your set HERE.Credits: reichwec / ThingiverseHave you already 3D printed your Christmas decorations? Let us know in a comment below or on our Linkedin, Facebook, and Twitter pages! Don’t forget to sign up for our free weekly Newsletter here, the latest 3D printing news straight to your inbox! You can also find all our videos on our YouTube channel.

Compact 3D printer to build fire-resistant house in California

RIC Technology’s compact 3D printer can be used in crowded neighborhoods tooRIC Technology A compact robotic 3D printer will help build a fire-resistant house in Walnut, California, early next year. The first-of-its-kind project is expected to set an example for the technique’s utility in areas severely impacted by wildfires. Additive manufacturing is the industrial name for 3D printing that is being used for a variety of applications around the world. Whether making small machine parts or large bridges, additive manufacturing has proven to be a reliable technique to build quickly. This is why construction firms have also used this approach to make schools and houses with a short turnaround time. Interesting Engineering has previously covered how 3D printing is used to build a large-scale housing complex. These have typically been new projects in empty spaces without much difficulty determining how the printing equipment can be placed. However, the same approach becomes difficult to deploy when reconstructing an old house or building an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) in crowded neighborhoods.

276 units available at world’s biggest affordable Passive House, from $498/month

Renderings courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development Applications are being accepted for 276 mixed-income units at the world’s largest fully affordable Passive House in East Harlem. Located at 50 East 112th Street, the building is the second phase of Sendero Verde, a mixed-use project with affordable housing, outdoor space, a school, […]

‘Passive House Design’ could be the future of sustainable living

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – What is a passive house? In layman’s terms, it essentially means that it is an energy-efficient home that is healthier for the environment. The future of how we build our homes can be part of the solution to saving the planet in the face of climate change. The American Institute of […]

Journey to Energy Efficiency: 10 Spanish Homes Applying Bioclimatic Strategies and Designs

Puigpunyent Eco-Passive House / Miquel Lacomba Architects. Image © Mauricio Fuertes How is it possible to reduce the energy consumption of our homes? What design, material, and/or technological strategies can be developed to achieve interior comfort while also addressing the climate crisis? While achieving energy efficiency depends, among other factors, on the state of the […]

Boston’s First Passive House-Certified Homes

It was -10 degrees Fahrenheit during a brutal Boston winter. But inside one of three Brucewood Homes, it was a relatively pleasant 55 degrees—with the heating system turned off. The homeowner had switched off the heat to test the efficient, high-performance home. Another homeowner who had long suffered from seasonal allergies found that, in their […]

Project Profile: World’s Largest ‘Passive House’ Office Building

A typical building loses up to 25% of its heat through the roof. To ensure an office building in Boston could buck that trend, building designers and contractors turned to Elevate roofing and insulation systems by Holcim for the construction of the world’s largest “Passive House”-certified office building: the Winthrop Center in Boston. buzz Designed […]

Boston’s Winthrop Center Debuts as World’s Largest Passive House Office Building

Today, the Boston’s Winthrop Center opened its doors; it is the world’s largest office building certified as a “passive house,” a testimony to advancements in energy-efficient building development. Passive house buildings comply with stringent requirements for heating, cooling, insulation, and natural lighting to maximize energy efficiency. Originating in the 1980s in Germany, these standards have been […]

An 1870s Clinton Hill carriage house, rebuilt to Passive House standards, asks $7.5M

Photo credit: Frank Frances This one-of-a-kind townhouse at 329 Vanderbilt Avenue on the border between Clinton Hill and Fort Greene, Brooklyn, is a showcase of innovative architecture and peerless modern design, undertaken by architecture firm Schiller Projects. The directive: re-imagining an 1870s carriage house with a focus on sustainability, design, and efficient engineering, in accordance […]

Passive-home neighborhood emerges between Loveland, Fort Collins

Builders marry design with environmental advantages The completed home at 8301 Four Points Court has been purchased and is awaiting occupancy. Ken Amundson/BizWest LARIMER COUNTY — In what may be the only fully passive home neighborhood in the region, the two partners in Black Timber Builders LLC are marrying modern design with techniques to make […]

Unique duplex retrofit in State College promotes sustainability and affordability

Centre County officials are celebrating a newly renovated passive house in State College that promotes sustainability, energy efficiency and affordability. Local, county and state officials gathered Friday to cut the ribbon of the newly renovated 1970’s duplex at 1505-07 University Drive. After the ribbon cutting, community members got to take a tour. Sydney Roach /WPSU […]

Guatemala’s First 3D-Printed Tiny Home Is 527 Square Feet And Was Designed To Resist Earthquakes

Using a COBOD printer, 3DCP Group and Progreso have built what they say is Guatemala’s first 3D-printed tiny home. This post was originally published on this site

Writer David Noland’s Passive House in Cornwall

The sun is one place David Noland hasn’t been yet. A writer and adventurer, Noland has trekked through some of the world’s remotest corners—climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, hitchhiked the backroads of Belize, and navigated the jungles of Trinidad—all the while detailing those adventures for National Geographic Adventure, Outside magazine, and two books. However, excluding […]

3D Printed House News

Building Tomorrow in Three Dimensions

Archives: Stories