Image via East 17th Street Residences
Austin, Texas is now home to a quartet of houses that were made with 3D printing technology. Designed by
Logan Architecture and built from 3D-printed concrete by construction tech company
ICON, the East 17th Street Residences are now on the market.
Created by ICON’s Vulcan technology, the houses are built by a robotic arm that layers 3D-printed cement onto striated surfaces. This component is designed to last longer than traditional building materials, the company
claims, and is apparently of better value too.
“3D-printing technology provides safer, more resilient homes that are designed to withstand fire, flood, wind, and other natural disasters better than conventionally built homes,” according to the construction firm.
Image via East 17th Street Residences
Image via East 17th Street Residences
The Vulcan 3D printer can print around 2,000 square feet of construction material and is highly customizable to individual projects’ needs. It can be easily controlled via tablet, and with an affordable Portland Cement-based mix called Lavacrete, resulting structures boast a compressive strength of 6,000 psi—“well above the strength of existing building materials”—while keeping costs low.
At East 17th Street Residences, each lot includes a private yard and covered parking, while the dwelling offers an open floor plan with large windows and bespoke interior design. The conceptual aesthetic is said to be minimalistic, and the airy space is perfect for it.
Image via East 17th Street Residences
“They are the first 3D-printed homes for sale in the US and ready for move-in,” ICON told
Dezeen. Each house reportedly took just five to seven days for its elements to be printed fully, and this process was completed in March this year.
Both of the two-bedroom properties in this highly exclusive small development are currently under contract, but both of the four-bedroom houses are still available for inquiries.
Meanwhile, ICON is looking to deploy the Vulcan 3D printer into the world, according to its
blog post.
[via
Dezeen, images via
East 17th Street Residences]