A San Francisco-based 3D printing start-up claims to be able to build a house in less than a day.
The start-up Apis Cor recently used their massive 3D printer to lay down concrete walls on a small test home at a site in Russia, printing out a comfortable 400-square-foot house. Providing an exceedingly affordable solution for building new houses, Apis Cor’s machine, which looks more like a small crane than a conventional 3D printer, spits out layer upon layer of a concrete mixture that the company says can last for 175 years.
Once the walls are printed, the machine is removed, and contractors move in to install insulation, windows, appliances, and a roof.
While it’s not entirely clear whether the whole house was finished and furnished in 24 hours, or just the walls were printed in that time, the company is confident that it can build and furnish these small houses for a cost of about USD$10,000, with the windows and doors being the most expensive components.
In 2014, China’s Win Sun Decoration Design Engineering Co. reportedly created 10 houses in a day using 3D printing and printer “ink” made from recycled material.
Apis Cor’s 3D printed houses could provide a housing solution in the aftermath of natural disasters, as well as meet the gap in availability of suitable housing in cities.
