Construction on the world's largest community of 3D-printed homes starting is now underway in Texas — see what the homes will look like

Brittany ChangNov 12, 2022, 03:16 IST

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Home construction giant Lennar and 3D printing construction startup Icon are now building a 100-home community.
When complete, it'll be the largest community of 3D-printed homes, according to its builders.

The future is here: A community of 100 3D-printed homes just north of Austin, Texas is now underway.

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It'll be the world's largest neighborhood of printed homes, according to its builders.

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And potential homeowners interested in living in one of these units will be able to reserve their pick as soon as 2023.

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The project is being spearheaded by 3D printing construction startup Icon and one of its investors, home construction giant Lennar.

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Earlier this year, Austin, Texas-based Icon made waves in its hometown's real estate market with House Zero …

Icon's over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.Brittany Chang/Insider

… a 2,000-square-foot luxury home with walls that were printed in eight days.

Brittany Chang/Insider

And now, it's bringing this printing tech to the master planned Wolf Ranch community in Georgetown, Texas …

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… which will soon be the home of this 100-unit printed development.

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The homes — located north of Austin, Texas — were designed with Icon's longtime collaborator Bjarke Ingels Group ("BIG"), an architecture company.

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And the units are now being built using Icon's software and a fleet of its Vulcan robotic printer systems …

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… which print out the "lavacrete" — a proprietary "high strength" concrete — used for the walls of the homes.

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Printing the walls allows Icon to cut back on time, cost, labor, and materials …

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… crucial advantages amid our ongoing housing crisis and inflation.

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"I don't want to build a worse world faster and cheaper," Jason Ballard, Icon's cofounder and CEO, told Insider in March. "I want to build a better world faster and cheaper."

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"I don't want to build a worse world faster and cheaper," Jason Ballard, Icon's cofounder and CEO, told Insider in March. "I want to build a better world faster and cheaper."

And Ballard believes this 100-unit development is just the beginning of the proliferated use of robotics in homebuilding.

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"In the future, I believe robots and drones will build entire neighborhoods, towns, and cities,'' Ballard said in the press release, noting that this community will be the "place where robotic construction at scale began."

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"In the future, I believe robots and drones will build entire neighborhoods, towns, and cities,'' Ballard said in the press release, noting that this community will be the "place where robotic construction at scale began."

The 100 homes will follow eight floor plans ranging from a three-bedroom, two-bathroom 1,574-square-foot unit …

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… to a four-bedroom, three-bathroom 2,112-square-foot home.

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The solar panel-lined houses — which start in the mid-$400,000s range — will also have tech like smart thermostats and Ring doorbells.

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And like any traditional master planned community, the future owners of these homes will have access to the neighborhood's additional amenities like pools, trails, and parks.

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And like any traditional master planned community, the future owners of these homes will have access to the neighborhood's additional amenities like pools, trails, and parks.

Icon isn't the only construction-tech company exploring the mass production of printed homes.

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In April, Alquist announced its intention to print 200 homes over the next five years around Pulaski, Virginia.

Alquist

And Oakland-based Mighty Buildings is now building out a community of over 40 3D-printed homes in Southern California.

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"Given the housing shortage…it has never been more important to innovate in order to find new methods of construction [for] greater design flexibility and production at affordable prices," Stuart Miller, Lennar's executive chairman, said in the press release.

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"Given the housing shortage…it has never been more important to innovate in order to find new methods of construction [for] greater design flexibility and production at affordable prices," Stuart Miller, Lennar's executive chairman, said in the press release.

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Construction on the world's largest community of 3D-printed homes starting is now underway in Texas &mdash; see what the homes will look like

The future is here: A community of 100 3D-printed homes just north of Austin, Texas is now underway.

It'll be the world's largest neighborhood of printed homes, according to its builders.

And potential homeowners interested in living in one of these units will be able to reserve their pick as soon as 2023.

The project is being spearheaded by 3D printing construction startup Icon and one of its investors, home construction giant Lennar.

Earlier this year, Austin, Texas-based Icon made waves in its hometown's real estate market with House Zero …

… a 2,000-square-foot luxury home with walls that were printed in eight days.

And now, it's bringing this printing tech to the master planned Wolf Ranch community in Georgetown, Texas …

… which will soon be the home of this 100-unit printed development.

The homes — located north of Austin, Texas — were designed with Icon's longtime collaborator Bjarke Ingels Group ("BIG"), an architecture company.

And the units are now being built using Icon's software and a fleet of its Vulcan robotic printer systems …

… which print out the "lavacrete" — a proprietary "high strength" concrete — used for the walls of the homes.

Printing the walls allows Icon to cut back on time, cost, labor, and materials …

… crucial advantages amid our ongoing housing crisis and inflation.

"I don't want to build a worse world faster and cheaper," Jason Ballard, Icon's cofounder and CEO, told Insider in March. "I want to build a better world faster and cheaper."

And Ballard believes this 100-unit development is just the beginning of the proliferated use of robotics in homebuilding.

"In the future, I believe robots and drones will build entire neighborhoods, towns, and cities,'' Ballard said in the press release, noting that this community will be the "place where robotic construction at scale began."

The 100 homes will follow eight floor plans ranging from a three-bedroom, two-bathroom 1,574-square-foot unit …

… to a four-bedroom, three-bathroom 2,112-square-foot home.

The solar panel-lined houses — which start in the mid-$400,000s range — will also have tech like smart thermostats and Ring doorbells.

And like any traditional master planned community, the future owners of these homes will have access to the neighborhood's additional amenities like pools, trails, and parks.

Icon isn't the only construction-tech company exploring the mass production of printed homes.

In April, Alquist announced its intention to print 200 homes over the next five years around Pulaski, Virginia.

And Oakland-based Mighty Buildings is now building out a community of over 40 3D-printed homes in Southern California.

"Given the housing shortage…it has never been more important to innovate in order to find new methods of construction [for] greater design flexibility and production at affordable prices," Stuart Miller, Lennar's executive chairman, said in the press release.

Construction on the world's largest community of 3D-printed homes starting is now underway in Texas — see what the homes will look like