A community of 3D-printed homes in Austin, Texas is now available with units starting at $745,000 - see what it's like inside

Brittany ChangSep 12, 2021, 19:08 IST

The 3D printed homes in Austin, Texas.Regan Morton Photography

A development of 3D-printed homes in Austin, Texas has been completed.
The East 17th Street Residences includes four homes that range from two to four bedrooms.
Two of the four homes are still available starting at $745,000.

A development of 3D-printed homes was recently completed in one of the country's hottest housing markets: Austin, Texas.

The 3D printed homes in Austin, Texas. Regan Morton Photography

And you could move right in as long as you have at least $745,000 to spare.

The 3D printed homes in Austin, Texas. Regan Morton Photography

The "East 17th Street Residences" was developed by 3Strands, printed by Austin-based 3D printing construction company Icon, and designed by Logan Architecture.

A home being printed. Regan Morton Photography

This is the second development Icon has printed in Austin, but this new community is the company's first "first mainstream housing project," according to 3Strands.

A 3D printed home in Austin, Texas. Regan Morton Photography

Icon's previous development was the "Community First! Village," a collection of affordable homes for unhoused people.

The kitchen inside one of the homes. Regan Morton Photography

Developing in Austin, Texas was strategic: "It's hard not to be drawn to what is happening in Austin right now," Gary O'Dell, CEO of 3Strands, told Insider in an email interview in May before the development was completed.

The 3D printed homes in Austin, Texas. Regan Morton Photography

Developing in Austin, Texas was strategic: "It's hard not to be drawn to what is happening in Austin right now," Gary O'Dell, CEO of 3Strands, told Insider in an email interview in May before the development was completed.

Elon Musk recently predicted that the city will be "the biggest boomtown that America has seen in 50 years."

A bedroom inside one of the homes. Regan Morton Photography

And 3Strands already owned the site, which simplified the zoning and permitting process, O'Dell said.

The bathroom inside one of the homes. Regan Morton Photography

Now let's take a look around inside.

The living room inside one of the homes. Regan Morton Photography

The East 17th Street Residence includes four homes that span 900 square feet to 2,000 square feet.

The kitchen inside one of the homes. Regan Morton Photography

Each home has between two to four bedrooms ...

A bedroom inside one of the 3D printed homes. Icon

… but some of the bedrooms could be easily converted into work-from-home offices.

An office inside one of the 3D printed homes. Icon

Each home has the typical kitchen and living rooms …

The living room and kitchen inside one of the 3D printed homes. Icon

… while some of the larger units have dining and laundry rooms as well.

The living room inside one of the 3D printed homes. Icon

The units also have porches, front yards, and parking spaces ...

The 3D printed homes in Austin, Texas. Regan Morton Photography

… as well as amenities like a dishwasher, refrigerator, and tankless water heater.

The kitchen inside one of the homes. Regan Morton Photography

Overall, the interior has a modern flare with an open concept and a minimalist appeal.

The kitchen inside one of the 3D printed homes. Icon

You might have noticed that the homes look no different than your typical traditionally constructed home.

The 3D printed homes in Austin, Texas. Regan Morton Photography

Well, using a 3D printer to build houses is more than just a unique, tech-forward way to construct homes.

A home being printed. Regan Morton Photography

According to O'Dell, 3D printing can help alleviate the housing shortage, a belief other 3D printing companies hold as well.

The 3D printed homes in Austin, Texas. Icon

"There is an extreme lack of housing (both in Austin and globally) that has left us with problems around supply, sustainability, resiliency, affordability, and design options," Jason Ballard, CEO and co-founder of Icon, told Insider in an email interview in May.

The 3D printed homes in Austin, Texas. Icon

"There is an extreme lack of housing (both in Austin and globally) that has left us with problems around supply, sustainability, resiliency, affordability, and design options," Jason Ballard, CEO and co-founder of Icon, told Insider in an email interview in May.

"With ICON's 3D printing technology, we anticipate more high-velocity progress in the years ahead to help bring housing and construction into the modern world," Ballard continued.

The 3D printer. Icon

"With ICON's 3D printing technology, we anticipate more high-velocity progress in the years ahead to help bring housing and construction into the modern world," Ballard continued.

Ballard believes 3D printing is the "toolkit of the builder of the future," as it decreases the cost, waste, manual labor, and time it takes to build a home.

The bedroom inside one of the 3D printed homes. Icon

The first floor of the community's homes were all printed using Icon's printing and construction system Vulcan.

The 3D printed homes being constructed in Austin, Texas. Icon

The Vulcan then prints out "lavacrete," Icon's in-house "high strength" concrete, shown below as it prints the walls of a home.

The 3D printer. Icon

This allows the homes to better tolerate natural disasters, including fires and flooding, according to its maker.

The 3D printed homes in Austin, Texas. Icon

The second floor was then completed with "conventional" materials, according to Ballard.

A home being printed. Icon

Since the homes' debut, 3Strands has been "overwhelmed" with interest from buyers, O'Dell said in a press release.

A bathroom inside one of the 3D printed homes. Icon

Of the four homes, one already went under contract in March shortly after it was listed.

The 3D printed homes in Austin, Texas. Icon

3Strands plans to keep another one of the homes, according to O'Dell.

The bathroom inside one of the 3D printed homes. Icon

The final two have since been listed by 3Strands and brokerage company Den Property Group.

The 3D printer. Icon

One of the units (B1) has been listed for $745,000, while the other (B3) is up for $795,000.

A 3D printed homes in Austin, Texas. Icon

According to O'Dell, 3Strands and Den priced the homes to match the median home price around the neighborhood.

The 3D printed homes in Austin, Texas. Icon

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A community of 3D-printed homes in Austin, Texas is now available with units starting at $745,000 - see what it's like inside

A development of 3D-printed homes was recently completed in one of the country's hottest housing markets: Austin, Texas.

And you could move right in as long as you have at least $745,000 to spare.

The "East 17th Street Residences" was developed by 3Strands, printed by Austin-based 3D printing construction company Icon, and designed by Logan Architecture.

This is the second development Icon has printed in Austin, but this new community is the company's first "first mainstream housing project," according to 3Strands.

Icon's previous development was the "Community First! Village," a collection of affordable homes for unhoused people.

Developing in Austin, Texas was strategic: "It's hard not to be drawn to what is happening in Austin right now," Gary O'Dell, CEO of 3Strands, told Insider in an email interview in May before the development was completed.

Elon Musk recently predicted that the city will be "the biggest boomtown that America has seen in 50 years."

And 3Strands already owned the site, which simplified the zoning and permitting process, O'Dell said.

Now let's take a look around inside.

The East 17th Street Residence includes four homes that span 900 square feet to 2,000 square feet.

Each home has between two to four bedrooms ...

… but some of the bedrooms could be easily converted into work-from-home offices.

Each home has the typical kitchen and living rooms …

… while some of the larger units have dining and laundry rooms as well.

The units also have porches, front yards, and parking spaces ...

… as well as amenities like a dishwasher, refrigerator, and tankless water heater.

Overall, the interior has a modern flare with an open concept and a minimalist appeal.

You might have noticed that the homes look no different than your typical traditionally constructed home.

Well, using a 3D printer to build houses is more than just a unique, tech-forward way to construct homes.

According to O'Dell, 3D printing can help alleviate the housing shortage, a belief other 3D printing companies hold as well.

"There is an extreme lack of housing (both in Austin and globally) that has left us with problems around supply, sustainability, resiliency, affordability, and design options," Jason Ballard, CEO and co-founder of Icon, told Insider in an email interview in May.

"With ICON's 3D printing technology, we anticipate more high-velocity progress in the years ahead to help bring housing and construction into the modern world," Ballard continued.

Ballard believes 3D printing is the "toolkit of the builder of the future," as it decreases the cost, waste, manual labor, and time it takes to build a home.

The first floor of the community's homes were all printed using Icon's printing and construction system Vulcan.

The Vulcan then prints out "lavacrete," Icon's in-house "high strength" concrete, shown below as it prints the walls of a home.

This allows the homes to better tolerate natural disasters, including fires and flooding, according to its maker.

The second floor was then completed with "conventional" materials, according to Ballard.

Since the homes' debut, 3Strands has been "overwhelmed" with interest from buyers, O'Dell said in a press release.

Of the four homes, one already went under contract in March shortly after it was listed.

3Strands plans to keep another one of the homes, according to O'Dell.

The final two have since been listed by 3Strands and brokerage company Den Property Group.

One of the units (B1) has been listed for $745,000, while the other (B3) is up for $795,000.

According to O'Dell, 3Strands and Den priced the homes to match the median home price around the neighborhood.