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3D printed house in Tabasco, Mexico

A pair of 3D-printed homes were built in 24 hours by the ‘world’s first 3D-printed community. A team of designers and philanthropists constructed two 3D-printed homes in 24 hours.

The printing process is relatively simple: The printer churns out layers of cement, which amass to form the walls of the home.

The company’s cement mixture is stronger than traditional building materials, so it can withstand extreme weather conditions.

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3D printer in operation.

Non-printed fixtures like doors and windows are installed at the end of the process.

The homes are part of a planned community for low-income residents in Tabasco, Mexico. Residents of the 3D-printed homes will be required to pay a mortgage of 400 pesos (about $20) per month for seven years.

In a rainy, rural site in the Mexican state of Tabasco, a pair of 3D-printed homes represent a milestone: They’re the initial two structures in a community that aims to be the world’s first 3D-printed housing development.

This month, a team of designers and philanthropists unveiled the houses, which are part of a planned 50-home neighbourhood for low-income families.

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Inside a 3D printed house

It’s the result of a collaboration between New Story, a San Francisco-based housing non-profit, and Icon, a construction-technology company that designs 3D printers.

At 500 square feet each, the homes take just 24 hours to print. The new homes come with two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom.

However the remaining 48 houses will not be built using this technique. Instead they will use a material called Eco-Block: a type of brick made from organic waste that’s stronger than traditional concrete and produces fewer carbon emissions. The non-profit will then compare whether Eco-Block or 3D printing holds up better over time.

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This article was extracted from Yahoo News.

2 thought on “The Future of Housing?”
  1. A solution looking for a problem.

    In the UK the two big problems are high land prices and a lot of old housing stock with poor heat insulation. The former needs changes in financial regulation, the later might be helped by some technological fix.

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