Developers in Southern California are building what they say will be the first 3D-printed zero net energy neighborhood in the United States. Palari Group said it plans to build 15 eco-friendly 3D-printed homes on a five-acre parcel of land in Rancho Mirage, an upscale community in the Coachella Valley, near Palm Springs. The 1,450 square foot, single-story homes will be made from a stone composite material that is strong, fire resistant, water resistant and termite proof [...] — CNN
Mighty Buildings, the Oakland-based construction company in this joint venture, claims that it can 3D print structures twice as quickly with 95% less labor hours and 10 times less waste than conventional construction.
Meanwhile in Texas, construction technology company ICON has partnered with Kansas City developer 3Strands and Austin-based Logan Architecture to build a partially 3D-printed multi-home ensemble of four buildings in an East Austin neighborhood.
6 Comments
The emperor's new clothes.
Zero-net energy could be achieved with traditional construction and without the use of massive amounts of environmentally damaging concrete mix while retaining viable employment for construction trades.
Reduced labor costs to increase profit under the ruse of energy efficiency. Inflexible construction makes future modification difficult, ergo disposable buildings.
Race to the bottom: Ready, set, go!
I'm all for pre-fab and experimenting with automated manufacturing, but if your development is greenfield sprawl (3 homes per acre?!) & doesn't even have sidewalks, you're not allowed to call it "sustainable."
Seems like if they had several different models and not lined them all up like soldiers on a parade ground it might be more attractive. And is the construction really cheaper than a typical CBU home? No price information on the lot or home was given in the video or article.
could've used old shipping containers...
maybe not! https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2021/01/22/shipping-container-shortage-is-causing-shipping-costs-to-rise.html
Nothing says sustainable like a lot that could easily fit 2 homes and still have a private garden. Just rotate those fuckers 90 degrees, push them up to the sidewalk with a small stoop, and you can easily fit 2 on 1 lot...
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.