This 3D-Printed house is $10,000 worth and is built in just 24 hours

Food, water, and shelter are basic human needs, but 1.2 billion people in the world live without adequate housing facilities. To combat this deficiency, an Austin-based startup has proposed a solution of developing a house by using low-cost 3D printing.

ICON has developed a method for 3D-printing of a single-story 650-square-foot house out of cement in just 12 to 24 hours. At the annual film and innovation festival known as SXSW, the company showed off a 3D-printed house which features a living room, bedroom, bathroom, and curved porch. Surprisingly, this house is even bigger than a studio apartment.

ICON has partnered with a nonprofit housing foundation New Story to take its technology to the developing world. Both organization now aim to build a community of 100 homes in El Salvador next year using the Vulcan printer.

3D-printing has become more accessible all around the globe, however, the of adoption of any large-scale utilization of 3D-printing technology is still a challenge. 3D printing technology enables you to produce complex (functional) shapes using less material than traditional manufacturing methods and it is also time efficient.

Even though the machinery used in 3D-printing is quite costly, however, the materials can be inexpensive. The company claims that “It’s much cheaper than the typical American home”. ICON can print an entire home for $10,000 and plans to bring costs down to $4,000 per house, whereas, some American homes, 200 to 400-square-feet in size cost nearly $40,000.

Jason Ballard, co-founder of ICON believes that more sincere efforts are required to make use of 3D-printing, as he stated;

“There are a few other companies that have printed homes and structures. But they are printed in a warehouse, or they look like Yoda huts. For this venture to succeed, they have to be the best houses.”

Like other developing countries, Pakistan has also seen a rise of demo models of 3D-printing on a small scale. Some Pakistani startups and entrepreneurs have taken the lead on introducing 3D-printed technology in various venues across the country.