3D Printed Homes of the Future

In futuristic themed media, there were a lot of theories about how far technology would have progressed by the 2020’s. Sitcoms and cartoons hit the nail on the head with smart home appliances, but overshot expectations with flying cars. One of the most revolutionary machines to come as of late that would have seemed just as far-fetched to dream about is 3D printing technology. First used to make toys and prototypes, this apparatus has proven capable in the fields of science, medicine, architecture and more. 3D printed homes are not just in our future, they are already here!

The process to “build” a true 3D printed home takes approximately 24-48 hours, which is as close as you can get to move in ready. The overall expense of the home depends not just on size, but also the printing materials used. Concrete and sustainable plastic have been used by some companies while others use more natural materials such as clay. A tiny home spanning 400 sq ft was built in San Francisco using a cement like fluid was constructed for just over $10,000. On a larger scale, a 1000 sq ft home was built in Milan in which the engineers printed 35 modules individually and then later assembled them together.

In addition to these randomly placed residential properties, the country’s first 3D printed housing community is underway in Rancho Mirage, California. The plan for this “Coachella Valley community” is to construct 15 homes, each on a 10,000 sq ft lot with 1,450 sq ft of living space. These three bedroom, two bath homes will come with a standard swimming pool and deck for a grand total of $545,000 which is below the current median sale price in that area. An optional accessory dwelling unit is available featuring two bedrooms and a bath for an additional $850k.

With an ever growing list of innovative sustainable and eco-friendly building technologies and materials, the possibilities for home construction is endless!