Several new start-ups are looking to change the U.S. real estate market with a novel housing idea: 3D printing. 3D-printed concrete housing is almost a commercial reality and is destined to change the real estate market as we know it.
Printing Your New Home
A small handful of companies have been slowly releasing their plans to begin 3D printing small homes, usually no more than several hundred square feet each, out of concrete. This cheap but durable material is capable of lasting thousands of years, making these small constructions incredibly hardy and able to withstand almost any environment.
While these homes were originally designed with emergency shelters and affordable housing for those in need in mind, it likely won’t be long until we see similar structures being custom-designed with a more luxury clientele in mind. These sleek, simple structures are likely to attract the attention of the rest of the U.S. housing market and be in high demand shortly after they’re fully released.
A Cost-Cutting Competitor For Traditional Construction?
One of the primary appeals of these unique homes is their incredibly affordable price tag. Currently, one of these small homes can be built within 48 hours for only $10,000, though it’s estimated that by refining techniques and with general fine-tuning over time, the cost could drop as low as $4,000.
While several 3D printed buildings already exist in parts of China, Russia, and India, the creators of these inexpensive concrete homes plan to establish an actual small community of the structures within the next eighteen months. Their target destination for this community of one hundred buildings will be in El Salvador; if this launch is a success, they intend to bring the technology to other places in need of affordable housing, including parts of the U.S.
Whether this technology will force American housing costs to decrease in order to compete or not has yet to be seen, but regardless, these small sturdy structures have already made a rock-solid impact with their audience, and are sure to stay standing for years to come.
