R118K 3D-Printed Home Could Herald Cheaper Housing For Millions

PLUS: Each one takes just 24 hours to build.
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As proof that the 3D printer is so much more than a gadget that some of us have in our sheds, a company has demonstrated how 3D printing could provide cheap, quick housing for millions.

This home, designed by construction company ICON, costs just $10,000 (~R118,000) to make, and took less than 24 hours to print and then finish.

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ICON

Why does it cost so little? Well, because almost all of it has been 3D-printed by a robot. Using the Vulcan industrial 3D printer, the team was able to digitally send the building plans to the printer, and then sit back as it printed the single-storey 60-square-metre home out of concrete.

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ICON

Once the concrete was set, all the team had to do with fit the roof, windows and door, along with interior electrical cabling.

The home is a partnership between ICON and nonprofit organisation New Story, with the ultimate goal being to create a cheap, safe home that could be built with limited expertise.

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ICON

While the demonstration home cost less than R120,000 to build, the team believe they can easily get that cost down even further, to around $4,000 (less than R50,000) per home.

These aren't just for show, either – New Story and ICON have already confirmed that the first community of 3D-printed homes will be built in El Salvador this year.