Can 3-D printed homes help end homelessness in Austin?
Thanks to 3D printing capabilities, the dream of creating a home built in less than 24 hours and being hit with a price tag of only $10,000 could become a reality thanks to two different companies.
ICON and New Story have officially teamed up in order to help provide the city of Austin with what are thought to be the first 3D printed homes that are both up to code and able to house actual people. ICON is an Austin-based robotics company, while New Story is a nonprofit company designed to offer housing in various developing countries.
The Vulcan printer from ICON recently constructed an 800-square-foot home. While it cost approximately $10,000 to create the home, ICON hopes to bring the price down to around $4,000. It was also constructed in under 24 hours; however, the company is seeking to decrease the total time to about six hours.
Currently, the goal is to expand to other countries and construct homes in developing countries such as El Salvador and Haiti. Additionally both ICON and New Story hope to enhance the printer itself before moving it into the field in El Salvador to eventually begin test printing. The time frame for this is approximately 18 months.
New Story also works in locations such as El Salvador, Bolivia, Mexico, and Haiti to help provide shelter, according to their official website. Within the past three years, the company has funded over 1,400 homes for those families in need of shelter.
It's also hopeful that in the future, New Story will be able to share their 3D printing technology with other governments and nonprofit organizations.
