Construction 3D printing company ICON is building eight new homes in Wimberley Springs, a development just south of Austin, Texas. The single-family homes, which are currently being constructed using ICON’s robotic construction 3D printing process, are now on the market for purchase in the range of $800,000.
The new homes are part of ICON’s Codex catalog and are single-story builds spanning 2,900 to 4,100 square feet (four-five bedrooms). Most relevantly to us, they are made using ICON’s construction 3D printing process, which is based on its large-scale 3D printing technology and the company’s proprietary CarbonX, a low-carbon concrete material made from local materials sourced from South Texas. ICON now actually has two 3D printing solutions: the brand new Phoenix robotic system for multi-story builds and its original Vulcan gantry system for single-story homes. The entire construction 3D printing process is controlled by ICON’s BuildOS software, which generates digital architectures and control the construction 3D printing robots that bring those designs to life.
The eight homes being built in Wimberley Springs are characterized not only by their 3D printed structure, but also their high efficiency in terms of thermal performance and energy use. According to ICON, the CarbonX structure provides “thermal mass that slows heat transfer into and out of the home” which helps balance out the effects of external temperature fluctuations without the need for significant air conditioning or heating changes.
Manufacturing on Demand
Not only that, the 3D printed walls are build to withstand other environmental elements, like wind (ICON walls have successfully undergone tests exposed to wind speeds of up to 250 miles per hour). When they are built, the 3D printed homes will reportedly be certified according to the U.S. EPA’s Energy Star standard. Typically, ICON homes receive a rating that indicates they are 45-60% more energy efficient than other new builds.
ICON’s Phoenix 3D printing solution was unveiled this past March at SXSW alongside its new digital catalog for residential builds (including the upcoming homes in Texas) and an AI Architect for design and project management. Ultimately, the company’s goal is to make residential construction more affordable and more sustainable through the use of 3D printing. Notably, in 2022 the company teamed up with leading homebuilder Lennar to break ground on the construction of 100 3D printed homes in Georgetown, Texas.
The company has also been active in exploring off-world construction projects. Specifically, ICON was chosen by DARPA to participate in a study on lunar architectures that will help to “guide lunar research and investment over the next ten years.” This followed ICON being awarded a $57.2 million contract from NASA in 2022 to develop space-based construction systems. If things continue to look up for ICON and its construction 3D printing technology, we could one day be seeing 3D printed homes both here on Earth and on the Moon.
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World’s first 3D printed skatepark to debut at Paris 2024 Olympics: The skatepark itself was a group effort, bringing together various artists and experts in construction, 3D printing and—of course—skateboarding. On this front, Saint-Gobain consulted with professional skateboarder Vincent Matheron. The design of the park is inspired by a pinball game and integrates many colorful and dynamic elements. Notably, the skatepark has been designed with accessibility in mind, with features that are suitable for all levels of skateboarders as well as for people of all types of physical abilities. In fact, the Saint-Gobain team enlisted the help of non-profit organization Pratikable to ensure that wheelchair users could make use of the park.
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Author: Tess Boissonneault
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