3D Printed Homes are Here to Stay

3D printed building structures is not a new thing. It is already possible to have 10 residences printed in a span of a single day. While not fully attractive, they can be at least low-cost while practical. By using a concrete-like material composed of recycled construction waste and industrial waste, the houses are first printed into various pieces. The printed sections are delivered to the home site where they are joined up withone another. As part of its long term plans, WinSun has decided to develop factories throughout China to accumulate waste materials and transform them into raw 3D printing components. In early 2015, using this very same technology, WinSunwas able to build a 5-scenario mansion. Every floor in the building took one day each to complete and the closing assembly added another five days.

Another example of home 3D printing can be found in Amsterdam, where a company called DUS Architects started up a project called “KamerMaker” (Dutch for “room maker”). Similar to the strategy of WinSun, their 3D printing is done in individual pieces which are later put together for the final product.The entire process will take some time though, and you will get to see the final product after 3 years. Here’s for sure: It won’t come cheap. Aside from the prime location, the design has intricate detailing and is massive with 13 spacious rooms. The entire structure is printed with molten plastic, which is first used to create bricks. The framework for each room is put together by builders using these bricks.The final design can be found in the nearby Canal House museum where a miniature design of the KamerMaker was created using a 3D printer.

Another player in the area of 3D home printing is WASProject (which stands for World's Advance Saving Project).Their goal is to be able to build housing that is both affordable and sustainable. Their 3D printer is called the Delta Robot and it debuted in the 2013 Rome Maker Faire, building a structure made of soil, oil and water.

Always wanting to be on the forefront of the latest technology, Dubai will also soon be boasting of a 3D printed building.The entire outside design will be made of 3D printed structures, and it will even include 3D printed things inside like office furniture.The build site for the office space wil l be in the center of Dubai and will be used by the UAE National Innovation Committee as a learning center for 3D printing.Dubai has chosen to work with WinSun on this project.

Using different materials for your 3D printer, Contour Crafting is another example of groups getting involved in 3D printing for homes. Their process is to not only print the entire building structure directly at the home site (no assembly is needed), but they are also able to leave spaces within the framework that would be needed for items like wiring or plumbing. NASA was so impressed by their technology, it has partnered with them on related research. Studies are ongoing to check the feasibility of using Contour Crafting to 3D print homes on another planet or on the moon. As it would be too expensive to transport the printing material from Earth, the project would need to find some soil in the target suitable for 3D printing use. The selected build material would be melted and used in the 3D printer.