First 3D-Printed House Unveiled in Austin

Nonprofit organization New Company and construction tech company ICON joined forces to unveil the world’s first 3D-printed house in Austin. The two firms, both of which are also based in Texas’ capital city, introduced the 3D-printed concept in an effort to help curtail homelessness on a global scale. The house cost $4,000 and was built in 24 hours.

The name of the home-building printer is Vulcan, and it’s designed to work in situations common in locations such as Haiti and rural El Salvador. In these and other cities, power is unpredictable, potable water isn’t guaranteed, and technical assistance is close to non-existent. Additionally, the printer, which is portable, functions with little waste.

“Conventional construction methods have many baked-in drawbacks and problems that we’ve taken for granted for so long that we forgot how to imagine any alternative,” said ICON’s Jason Ballard, co-founder of ICON. 3D printing, he added, can get quality houses built speedily and affordably.

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