Five rental homes are about to be built in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. But these aren't any ordinary builds--the stone-shaped dwellings designed by the Technical University of Eindhoven and several firms will be constructed with 3D printing technology, says New Atlas writer Adam Williams. While most previous 3D printed homes have been prototypes, these five homes are some of the first that will be built specifically for poeple to live in full time.
It will be developed over the next five years and involve contractor Van Wijnen, real estate manager Vesteda, materials firm Saint Gobain-Weber Beamix and engineers Witteveen+Bos. The unusual-looking homes are envisioned as large stones scattered in a field. The first house built will be a single story home with a total floorspace of 95 sq m (1,022 sq ft) divided into a living room, kitchen, two bedrooms, a toilet, bathroom, and a storeroom. The next four homes will be relatively complex, two story units with terraces. The idea is that following the completion of the first model, lessons will be learned on how to speed up the process for those that follow.
The construction process will be similar to other 3D-printed architecture projects we've seen and involve a large 3D printing machine extruding a cement mixture out of a nozzle in layers to build up a structure (though like the 3D-printed bridge, steel wire may also be used for reinforcement). Once the team has the structure ready, it will then be transported to the site in sections for assembly, and followed by human worker finishing off the home with windows, wiring, a roof, etc. However, the plan is for the fifth and final house to be printed on-site with a transportable 3D printer. Construction of the first house is due to begin this year and it should be ready for occupation in early 2019. The remaining homes will eventually follow. The actual rental cost of the 3D-printed homes hasn't been revealed, but a Technical University of Eindhoven representative told us that rates will be affordable.
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