3D printers are big now, and not only in the sense of popularity, but in the literal sense. SQ4D has built an industrial sized 3D printer. One capable of building an entire house from the ground up.
Unlike Wilson’s Airless Basketball prototype, this printer has built a house you can live in, not a prototype. In fact, SQ4D built its first house in Riverhead, New York. In January 2020, they built the world’s largest 3D printed home in Calverton, New York.
In this article, we are going to answer the following:
- What are the top 5 benefits of 3D printing a house?
- How is it made?
What are the top 5 benefits of 3D printed house?
A 3D printed house overshadows a conventionally built house in many ways, but here is a couple.
1. Build Speed
The time it takes to build a residential building is drastically decreased as the machine does not get tired and is less likely to make a mistake. A project that takes weeks or months to complete, can now be done in hours with less people.
2. Reduces Construction Waste
With an industrial sized 3D printer, it is much easier to predict how much material is necessary for the entire construction of the building than the conventional methods.
This reduces construction waste, increasing overall efficiency of the process, and making it more environmentally friendly alternative.
3. Lowers Overall Cost
Less material is being wasted, which positively influences the cost of the construction process. You do not need as many people working on the building either, decreasing the labour costs.
This also decreases the price of buildings when they hit the market, an exciting opportunity for those who would like to get the best that their money can buy.
4. Offers Better Safety
Having a 3D printer to do the more dangerous jobs benefits the workers and the company. The company gets to worry less about getting sued and the workers worry less about getting injured on the job and the consequences of that.
5. Personalisation
This is more of a bonus point.
We are going to see designs come to life that wouldn’t have been possible without the 3D printing technology.
This would place an entirely new definition on the term personalisation. Who knows what 3D printing can create on an industrial level, where money isn’t a constraint?
How is it made?
This 48-hour process can be broken down into 4 stages.
Stage 1: Floor Plan
The floor plan is the base for all the buildings. This is given to the 3D printer either through a scan, or a digital version is uploaded.
Stage 2: Printing
The 3D printer uses the floor plan to build the outer and inner walls of the house. The layers can be seen after the building has been completed. If you would like to rather have walls with a smooth surface, that option is available.
Stage 3: Roofing
The roof may be prefabricated or built on site, the same as traditional buildings. 3D printed roofs are being explored, which would further increase the speed at which houses are built.
Stage 4: Windows and doors
The doors and windows are traditional and are just implemented into the design of the building.
Final Thoughts
Daily we move toward a world of automation.
It is only a matter of time before 3D printing houses is the norm. When building a house in 24 hours isn’t enough time.
