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Danish architecture studio BIG and American 3D-printing firm ICON have completed a full-sized model home at what is planned to be the “largest-scale development of 3D-printed homes in the world”.
The house is the first to be completed at Wolf Ranch, a neighbourhood in Georgetown, Texas, near the capital city of Austin.
Co-designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and ICON, it is one of 100 houses that are currently being constructed by local construction firm Lennar and will serve as a model for prospective buyers.
The model house features distinct, striated 3D-printed walls constructed through the use of ICON’s proprietary material, Lavacrete, a concrete-like mix used in its Volcan 3D Printers.
It has a gabled roof made from metal that will, according to the team, be topped by photovoltaic panels.
Inside, the striated walls have been painted white, as have other built-in, 3D-printed elements such as the kitchen island. The gable is visible inside and runs along the whole of the living and dining area.
For the show home, wooden furniture and simple light fixtures have been installed by Lennar.
The three-bedroom house has one of eight different floor plans that will be rolled out at the development. A total of 24 different elevations are planned to give the neighbourhood a diversity of forms.
Speaking to Dezeen at the start of construction in November 2022, ICON co-founder Jason Ballard said that the houses will be “better in every way” due to the quickness of the process and the durability of the material.
“In the future, I believe robots and drones will build entire neighborhoods, towns, and cities, and we’ll look back at Lennar’s Wolf Ranch community as the place where robotic construction at scale began,” Ballard told Dezeen at the time.
Much of the structural elements and the walls and structural elements of the other houses on the site have been completed since work began late last year. ICON said that the first residents will begin moving into the houses in September.
The team has also created a virtual tour website where interested parties can preview the houses on the property before their completion.
As of now, the houses are projected to cost between $475,990 – $559,990 (£370,455 – £435,831).
Wolf Ranch is one of a few developments in the US that is taking a 3D-printing approach. Others include Mighty Building’s prospective community in Desert Hot Springs, California.
Other projects that involve 3D printing include a recent basketball design by Wilson with a lattice exterior that requires no air.
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