The process aims to reduce labor hours and material waste, dramatically cutting construction costs for new housing.
As Jonathan Hillburg reports in The Architect's Newspaper, "ICON and homebuilding company Lennar announced that they had partnered and will 3D print a 100-home neighborhood in Austin with BIG as the designer." The neighborhood will be the largest 3D-printed community built to date.
In an announcement made by the group, Hillburg writes, BIG partner Martin Voelkle said "[t]he 3D-printed architecture and the photovoltaic roofs are innovations that are significant steps towards reducing waste in the construction process, as well as towards making our homes more resilient, sustainable, and energy self-sufficient." The project's specific location and construction timeline are still unknown. ICON is currently building a 50-home social housing community in Nacajuca, Mexico, in a partnership with San Francisco-based nonprofit New Story.
In recent years, 3D printing has found a growing number of applications in urban planning and construction, with some proponents hailing it as a solution for the housing crisis. If successful at a larger scale, 3D-printed housing could significantly impact housing costs and reduce the carbon footprint of construction. Companies claim that 3D-printed homes can be built in under 24 hours (or a 95 percent reduction in labor hours) and produce up to ten times less waste, drastically reducing building costs.
FULL STORY: ICON and Lennar reveal the world’s largest 3D-printed community, designed by BIG
Coming Soon: A 3D-Printed Neighborhood
The march of progress continues.
3D Printing Affordable Housing at Scale
A new 3D printer, coming soon to the market, promises serious construction cost savings in an era of seriously expensive construction costs.
How 3D-Printing Can Make Housing More Affordable
Habitat for Humanity is working with 3D-printers to reduce the costs of construction and provide more housing for families in need.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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