ICON sells its 3D printed homes for $ 450K
Austin-based building technology company, ICON, has officially announced the next evolution of homebuilding.
Using ICON's advanced 3D printing technology, the company is set to sell four of these homes in Austin, Texas, at $ 450,000 each.
And the homes were designed by another Austin-based firm called Logan Architecture, along with 3Strands and ICON.
"We want to change the way we build, the way we own and how we live in a community together," 3Strands said in a statement, "This project represents a big step forward, pushing the boundaries of new technologies, such as 3D printed homes."
The ICON 3D printer helped print the entire first floor of each of the two-bedroom to four-bedroom homes located in the new East 17th Street Residence project.
The upper floors have been built with traditional construction, but are expected to be ready for relocation by the summer of 2021.
The homes are highly energy efficient and with the help of ICON 3D printing, they have stronger and longer-lasting traditional building materials that allow homes to become more flexible.
The material used in the 3D printing process is called Lavacrete, and it is a special cementitious material that is more durable than traditional building materials.
Homes are designed to better withstand potential disasters, such as floods, fires and strong winds. The print time for each home is between 5 to 7 days and ranges from 1,000 to 2,000 square feet.
ICON has previously printed more than twenty residential buildings across the United States and Mexico.
And in the Texas community, the company has also 3D printed up to 7 homeless homes in Austin.
ICON has also worked with NASA to research and develop a space-based building system, with the ultimate goal of placing buildings on the Moon and Mars.
The company said when it showed its 3D-printed homes at the South by Southwest Festival in 2018: its Vulcan printer could create an 800-square-foot structure for about $ 10,000.