Is A 3D-Printed House Habitable

Everyone wants to own a house they live in. It is a place that makes us feel safe and secure and hence holds a special place in our hearts. However, with rising property prices, owning your own house seems like a distant possibility. Hence, people are looking for cheaper and reasonable alternatives for the same. Recently I learnt about 3D-printed houses. These are designed to cut costs and also reduce environmental pollution. As the name suggests, 3D-printed houses are printed using large 3D printers. Since the nozzle is free to move freely in any direction/ plane, it can design structures not possible to construct using traditional construction methods.

In the case of a 3D-printed house, the cement is printed rather than laid on top. The method involves a huge robotic arm with a nozzle that squirts out a specially formulated cement. The cement is printed adding layer upon layer to create a strong wall. These houses are more reasonable as they cut down on material and labour costs. These homes are generally printed layer by layer and then transported to the building site and placed on a foundation. But can also be printed at the site. Once the home structure is ready, a roof and window frames are fitted.

A total of 120 hours/ 5 days is taken to build a house without any breaks. A small two-bed 3D home would cost you something around $10,000. Larger constructions would likely cost more. Estimates indicate that these houses can last for up to 50-60 years with proper maintenance. Also, Take A Look At These Floating Solar Homes.

A 3D-printed house could be the next breakthrough for affordable homes especially for low-income residents in developing economies and could solve the housing crisis in these markets. These will also be the answer to quickly and efficiently building houses. The special cement could be made from basic materials as simple as a mixture of soil, straw and rice husks, or sand, silt, clay and water/ agricultural waste or bio-plastic. These structures made of biodegradable substances are intended as used for temporary accommodation ie. relief camps. You can also add solar panels to make your home more environmentally friendly and run off-grid.

India too has taken a step in this direction and the country’s first 3D-printed house was built IIT-Madras startup Tvasta.

Check out some such cool houses here at Dezeen.