Printed Houses

When in 2013 DUS Architects, the Dutch architectural office, announced their plans to 3D print an entire canal house on the waterfront in Amsterdam, the design world reacted to this proposal very skeptical. But all skepticism vanished recently when they unveiled the first 3D-printed walls to the public in Amsterdam. During the unveiling, the firm showcased a set of 3D printed plastic pieces that will lock together to build the canal home’s façade.

Using a 20-foot talk 3D printer called the Kamermaker (or “room builder”), the designers printed oversized honey-comb textured chunks that would fit together like Lego blocks. In addition to demonstrating the possibilities of 3D printing with different materials, the project provides a tangible example of the next-generation technology that may well spur a whole new housing trend. The first printed houses were presented in the architectural market in March of last year by Chinese company WinSun Decoration Design Engineering Co. The company has already proven its stake in the 3D-printed architecture market, printing 10 homes at $5,000 apiece. China’s newest mansion is not only made from recycled materials, but the sprawling 12,000 square foot home was made with 3D printing!

Developed by Chinese company WinSun, the luxury mansion was 3D printed in layers, using recycled stone and construction waste. In addition to the mansion, WinSun has also 3D printed a five-story apartment building – in a single day – and 10 affordable homes from recycled materials.
• Buildings, up to five storeys high, cost around £100,000 to produce
• Engineers use a 500ft long printer and recycled construction waste for ‘ink’
• ‘Ink’ is sprayed on layer by layer until thick walls are created by the printer
• Thousands of the houses have already been snapped up by investors.

If this technology will be widely used to build a house or other structure, it will be enough a single robot that just could print a house and realize even the most fantastic project.

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Text by Valery Yakovlev