3D Printing
News Contact us Seen on social
Home / News / ICON 3D Printing Affordable Houses to Fix Housing Crisis

ICON 3D Printing Affordable Houses to Fix Housing Crisis

April 1, 2019

Austin-based ICON previously debuted their 3D printed house at SXSW, showing off an affordable construction alternative. Now, the company is building a lot more of them, having cleared it by regulatory standards for housing permission. Their Vulcan II printer can potentially build 650-square-foot houses for as $4,000-$6,000 dollars. The company believes that their work could help fix the housing crisis.

rda modular 3d injection housing crises
Related Story
RDA Modular: Addressing Housing Crises With 3D Injection

The technology behind 3D printed houses cleared the regulatory phase in 2018, and so ICON can now truly focus on larger projects. In a collaboration with nonprofit New Story, they built a 650-sq-ft home with separate bedroom, living, bathroom, and kitchen areas, truly showing off what the gantry style printer can do.

ICON 3D Printing Affordable Houses to Fix Housing Crisis

Another reason this project has a lot more legs than its various predecessors is the materials. With the use of lavacrete, the company has produced houses that can withstand various extreme weather conditions, even going so far as to minimize the impact of natural disasters. The material provides an ample basis for the frame, with traditional materials making up the windows and roofs etc.

WASP Crane Infinity 3D Printer Allows On-Site Construction
Related Story
WASP Crane Infinity 3D Printer Allows On-Site Construction

The method is also sustainable, which a lot of 3D printing construction projects are aiming for. ICON’s work allows for high thermal mass, while producing little waste. It even has the benefit of easy transportation, as the printer can fit in a trailer. As a result, they can build in areas that giant construction crews may not find accessible.

Vulcan II & Printing Houses

ICON 3D Printing Affordable Houses to Fix Housing Crisis

The Vulcan II is at the centre of the firm’s operations. It employs a single gantry system and operates on the spot. It uses a novel “automated material delivery system”, which ICON calls Magma. In the delivery process it can blend lavacrete with various additives and hydrate it using built-in water reservoirs. Aside from their easy transportability, both the printer and the materials can operate in conditions with limited water, electricity and construction-friendly infrastructure.

The lavacrete’s composition can also vary from iteration to iteration. This allows ICON to custom-tune materials to the particular conditions of each location or the needs of the house. It allows for designers to account for temperature, humidity, altitude and other factors.

WASP Print $1000 House Using Natural Ingredients
Related Story
WASP Print $1000 House Using Natural Ingredients

The Vulcan II is operable with a tablet as the control hub. It even comes with a software suite for converting CAD drawings into printable formats like obj. Considering the cost-cutting it manages, along with the accessibility and apparent ease of use, ICON have a very promising technology on their hands.

Featured image courtesy of ICON and Architect’s Newspaper.

Share:
WhatsApp Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Buffer Reddit E-mail
Latest posts

Anisoprint Sets Up in China

Continuous fiber 3D printing company Anisoprint has opened a new office in Shanghai, China, located in the Additive Manufacturing Technology Centre (AMTC). The... read more »

News
Brake pedal Anisoprint

Researchers Use Silicone to 3D Print Accurate Brain Models

A team of researchers from the University of Florida has developed a new 3D printing technique using silicone that can produce accurate models... read more »

Medical
AMULIT

Mantis 3D Printer Can Print 45kg of Metal an Hour

3D printing startup Rosotics has unveiled its game-changing Mantis 3D printer in Mesa, Arizona. The massive, unfolding printer can produce 45 kg of... read more »

3D Printers
Mantis 3D printer

3D Printed Switchable Explosives Offer Safer Solutions for Mining and Military Applications

Researchers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory have developed "switchable" high explosives that require an inert fluid, like water, to be activated, minimizing... read more »

Military
Experimental setup and detonation time lapse

Engineer Wins Prize for 3D-Admix Concrete Printing Additive

Fort Bragg resident and civil engineer, Michael Butler, has won the Most Innovative Product Award at the 2023 World of Concrete International Exhibition.... read more »

Construction
concrete and 3D-Admix

Patent Granted for 3D Printing Embossing Technology

Northann Corp has obtained a European patent for its innovative "DSE Embossing Technology." This new method combines positive and negative embossing techniques in... read more »

News
DSE embossed example

USAF Global Strike Command Embraces 3D Printing for Future Weapon Sustainment

The Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) is turning to 3D printing to address its weapon sustainment needs. As the field of additive... read more »

Military
USAF mechanical engineer

Particle Accelerator Sheds New Light on Solidification of Metals During 3D Printing

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, and other institutions have made a... read more »

3D Printing Metal
Shooting X-rays

Social

  • Facebook Facebook 3D Printing
  • Linkedin Linkedin 3D Printing
  • Twitter Twitter 3D Printing
  • Geeetech Mizar M Geeetech Mizar M
    255 x 255 x 260 mm
    $399
    Buy Now
  • Geeetech A30T Geeetech A30T
    320 x 320 x 420 mm
    $449
    Buy Now
  • Geeetech ALKAID Geeetech ALKAID
    82 x 130 x 190 mm
    $99
    Buy Now
  • Fusion3 F410 Fusion3 F410
    355 x 355 x 315 mm
    $4,599
    Buy Now
  • Geeetech Mizar S Geeetech Mizar S
    255 x 255 x 260 mm
    $279
    Buy Now
  • Geeetech THUNDER Geeetech THUNDER
    250 x 250 x 260 mm
    $489
    Buy Now
  • Modix BIG-60 Modix BIG-60
    600 x 600 x 660 mm
    $4,900
    Buy Now
  • Hands-On Review: The Mole 3D Scanner
    Hands-On Review: The Mole 3D Scanner Learn More
  • Hands-On Review: Creality Ender 5 S1
    Hands-On Review: Creality Ender 5 S1 Learn More

Featured Industries

  • Automotive
  • Aerospace
  • Construction
  • Dental
  • Environmental
  • Electronics
  • Fashion
  • Medical
  • Military
  • Modix BIG-120Z Modix BIG-120Z
    600 x 600 x 1200 mm
    from $7,500
    Request a Quote
  • Industry MAGNUM Industry MAGNUM
    1500 x 1200 x 1200 mm
    €159.000
    Request a Quote
  • Modix BIG Meter Modix BIG Meter
    1010 x 1010 x 1010 mm
    from $13,500
    Request a Quote
Join our newsletter

Our newsletter is free & you can unsubscribe any time.

Company Information

  • What is 3D Printing?
  • Contact us
  • Join our mailing list
  • Advertise with us
  • Media Kit
  • Nederland 3D Printing

Blog

  • Latest News
  • Use Cases
  • Reviews
  • 3D Printers
  • 3D Printing Metal

Featured Companies

  • Modix
  • Industry
  • Geeetech

Featured Industries

  • Automotive
  • Aerospace
  • Construction
  • Dental
  • Environmental
  • Electronics
  • Medical
  • Military
  • Fashion
  • Art
2023 — Strikwerda en Dehue
  • Home
  • Join our mailing list
  • Contact us
Featured Industries
  • Automotive
  • Aerospace
  • Construction
  • Dental
  • Environmental
  • Electronics
  • Medical
  • Military
  • Fashion
  • Art
Blog
  • Latest News
  • Use Cases
  • Reviews
  • 3D Printers
  • 3D Printing Metal
Company Information
  • What is 3D Printing?
  • Contact us
  • Join our mailing list
  • Advertise with us
  • Media Kit
  • Nederland 3D Printing
We serve cookies on this site to analyze traffic, remember your preferences, and optimize your experience.
Details
Close