Nearly two years in progress, a community of homes constructed with a massive 3D printer in Georgetown, Texas is almost finished. According to Reuters, the homes are part of the Wolf Ranch community and are being created with a large 3D printer known as the Vulcan, weighing over 4.75 tons and spanning 45 feet wide, in collaboration with 3D printing developer ICON and home construction company Lennar. Commencing in November 2022, the project is on track to complete 100 homes by summer’s end, with prices ranging from $450,000 to $600,000. A significant portion of the properties has already been sold, and residents have started moving in. The ICON printer employs a blend of concrete powder, water, sand, and other materials to assemble tube-shaped concrete stacks for walls and entire homes, while the base and metal roofs are made traditionally by human crews. The dwellings comprise single-story structures with three to four bedrooms, taking around three weeks to print, and feature walls designed for durability, sustainability, water resistance, and energy efficiency. The distinct ranch-style house designs were developed by BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group and construction has been streamlined, reducing crews to one and using only one robot printer. The only setback reported is potential WiFi signal interference due to the wall thickness, prompting residents to opt for mesh routers placed throughout the homes. Additionally, ICON’s 3D printing technology is attracting interest from NASA for potential application in constructing structures on the moon for its Artemis Moon exploration program scheduled to launch its first crew in September 2025.
