Builder Magazine: I attended the Domus Ex Machina session at SXSW earlier this month, presented by ICON. CEO Jason Ballard hosted the event with his passionate, high energy, and challenging style in full display. I will admit that I have been a Ballard fan since we first introduced him to the production housing industry at DCX in 2018. However, I have been openly skeptical of the economics and wide adoption of 3D printing in home construction.
4 comments:
I have seen videos of the 3d printed houses with machines that can only be described as a giant robotic cement piping tube. To me those pieces of equipment seemed more like gimmicks to me than innovative construction equipment. This equipment also feels gimmicky but with the potential to be affordable and innovative in the world of construction. In this article this 3D machine was compared to the Gutunburg press and I think that is an accurate description as this machine is draft 0 and will not become the cutting edge of construction however this technology has potential to become something great and innovative. I am curious how this technology, like most technology in the construction industry, will integrate into the theatrical industry. I look forward to a distant future where sets can be drawn up in cad and printed if that day ever comes and would be a practical addition to our industry.
I think this is really cool. I have seen a couple videos of concrete 3d printed houses. I think these are really cool and efficient, however they are expensive and concrete is awful for the environment. When reading this article it was really cool to read about CarbonX which is a new material with a lower carbon footprint than any other building material available. I wonder how expensive CarbonX is. They say they can build walls for $25 a wall but is that with CarbonX or concrete. CarbonX just seems like it would be really expensive. Also, I’m not sure what it is made of. I also don’t know how scalable this technology is. I think 3d printed houses could be a great way to create cheap houses that can help with housing insecurity. However to help with housing insecurity, zoning laws also have to be changed. This is a cool technology, but I’m just not sure it’s as life changing as this article makes it out to be.
The concept of 3D printed houses is something that has always interested me, as it would be a way to ensure people around the world could have access to shelter when they otherwise may not have. One of the videos I have always loved watching is the 3D printing of a house that used concrete as its material. That video shows how much time and planning needs to go into something which may seem simple on the surface but really requires a lot of planning and forethought, not including anything about just the amount of work required on the actual execution of it. If I'm remembering correctly, this video was also one of ICON's earlier projects. Reading that article and seeing the claims they have for their homes is also incredible: fire resistant, flood resistant, insect resistant, and capable of withstanding 250 mph winds. This, along with the price tag of $25/sq. ft., is really incredible to see and makes me wonder how many homes we see in the future being made from this method.
Okay. 3D Printing. I have literally zero experience with this media whatsoever- but overall I find the medium intriguing and a huge jumping-off point for the future of utilizing technology to manipulate physical materials. I think this technology will be especially useful in the recycling of old materials to manufacture new things. I think I read in an article a while ago that machines similar to this were able to print houses out of clay or mud. This article is a gentle reminder that technology is continuing and will forever continue to evolve, and this is just the beginning. “The Phoenix will fade and be replaced by 100 newer, faster, better versions over the years. But this day seems like it should be acknowledged and remembered as the day that robotic home building came of age.” I wonder what the next step looks like!
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