3D printing a house in just 24 hours? I squeezed toothpaste not so silky...

How long does it take to build a house?

Maybe it will take more than half a year? No, with 3D printing technology, you can print a small house in less than 24 hours.

In the past two years, we have heard frequent news about 3D printed houses. For example, in April 2021, a Dutch couple in their seventies moved into the most advanced 3D printed house in Europe. New Story, a 20-year nonprofit organization, announced that "the world's first" 3D printing community was completed in Mexico, with each house completed in about 24 hours of printing time, an area of 500 square feet, and 50 families already living...

Recently watching 3D printers print houses become a favorite pastime of tiktok users, some users said that watching the huge robotic arm work methodically, the look is really: "I squeeze toothpaste is not so smooth"!

01

3D printing challenges the mainstream way houses are built?

Watching a giant robotic arm methodically pile up concrete layers may not sound as shocking. But on Douyin, the video of the precise 3D printing process garnered tens of thousands of views, leading people to envision a world in which 3D printed houses would become the new normal.

Since Ayman Hussein joined the social platform Douyin to showcase Alquist's 3D printed work last year, he has gained nearly 50,000 followers, and he is the printing director of Alquist 3D. His TikTok work focuses on the process of 3D printing houses, with the most talked-about videos showing how Alquist printers lay concrete layer by layer and build the facades of houses in a computer-generated pattern.

Just like small 3D printers, Alquist's printers have a distributor that pumps layers of material, such as concrete, out to build a physical object. They follow a predetermined layout to complete the design provided by the digital file. The process can be used to make anything including jewelry, furniture, house walls, and more.

Hussein said he started shooting videos to document the company's work, but then he realized the videos resonated with people on TikTok.

Viewers often left joke comments such as "I squeezed toothpaste not so smoothly" on Hussein's posts, with the most popular comments being viewed more than 20 million times. However, there are others who have doubts. "It does look convenient, but how long does it take to build a house?" One user commented in an August post. The answer is an average of 20-30 hours.

While the potential of the 3D printed residential construction industry continues to grow, there are still challenges that hinder its expansion into the mainstream.

02

What is the current status of the 3D printing home industry?

Since its inception in 2020, Alquist has completed two 3D printed house buildings, one in Williamsburg, Virginia, and the other in Richmond, Virginia. The idea of 3D printed houses has also become increasingly popular in recent years. A survey released in August 2021 found that 66% of consumers are willing to live in a 3D printed home. In the younger generation, the number will be even higher. 75% of millennials say they are willing to embrace 3D printed living homes. About a third of respondents also said they believe 3D printing is the future of residential construction and will eventually replace more traditional construction methods.

Zachary Manheimer, founder and CEO of Alquist, said one of the biggest benefits of 3D printing is that it can produce affordable, energy-efficient and privately customizable homes.

Compared to traditional stick-built houses (i.e., houses built on site using wooden frames), Alquist found a 15 percent cost saving for 3D printed houses. Manheimer said the company aims to save 30 percent on home construction costs by 2023.

In December, a Virginia family moved into alquist's first 3D printed human home in the United States. The 1,200-square-foot home with concrete facade was completed in 22 hours, about two or three weeks ahead of the standard construction schedule, culminating in a three-bedroom, two-bathroom house.

"Apart from the fact that the façade is made of concrete, not wood, our house is no different from other houses," Manheimer said. These houses were built in almost the same way. We just need to squeeze concrete out of a giant robot, saving time, labor and materials. ”

Through Habitat for Humane's home purchase program, families living in Alquist's first owner-occupied 3D printed home only need to pay a monthly mortgage of no more than 30% of their income to move in, including real estate taxes and homeowners' insurance. Hussein said: "Working with Habitat for Humanity was a wonderful experience and they shared our like-mindedness. ”

Manheimer said that since the news of Habitat for Humane Housing, alquist's demand has increased significantly, reflecting the huge demand for affordable housing. "Since the house was built and the first post was published, on average we've received 25-50 requests for 3D printed houses every hour. This also confirms why we value 3D printed houses so much, and the demand for this aspect is actually huge. ”

Following the success of the first two 3D printed housing projects, Alquist is working on a new project related to affordable housing, which was officially announced at the end of April.

03

What challenges do 3D printing construction companies face?

The White House estimates that there is a shortage of as many as 4 million affordable housing units in the United States. Manheimer said the biggest challenge facing the 3D printed housing industry right now is the size of the industry: "At the moment, there are fewer than 10 companies using this technology in the United States. To truly alleviate the affordable housing crisis, we need the help of more companies, targeting 50 companies. ”

But some experts say there are other fundamental issues that have prevented 3D printing technology from revolutionizing the way homes are built. Ryan Smith, dean of the School of Design and Architecture at Washington State University and professor of architecture, said that while 3D printing technology has the long-term potential to transform the construction industry, Americans prefer to build houses with balsa frames.

Because U.S. labor and supply chains are built to process wood, trying to disrupt existing systems would create considerable logistical hurdles for the installation and maintenance of plumbing, electricity, HVAC and other systems, Smith said. "If your building framework will change from a lightweight frame to a concrete house, then the way you build it will also need to change, and you need to build a team that can manage the entire workforce around that."

Smith said that instead of replacing existing wall-building methods with 3D printing, Smith said they are trying to produce components of houses in factories and then assemble them on house construction sites. Some other 3D printing housing companies have already done so.

04

How TikTok can enhance the publicity of 3D printed houses

All of these hurdles mean that, for now, affordable 3D printed homes won't be mainstream anytime soon. But building popular interest is the first step.

Manheimer said: "The number of views of these videos is increasing because these 3D printed houses look very satisfying. He said.

It's an attractive dream for the younger generation of members facing difficulties in buying a home. "We can inspire the younger generation to build what they want with computers and machines, not shovels."