If you grew up in Australia, you might remember the TV show, “Beyond 2000”? While we may not have our flying cars yet, it feels like the future has now arrived in the building industry. The latest technology offers you interesting choices when it comes to building your home. If you’d like something a little more creative than what you’d see in your typical, outer suburb housing estate. 3D printed models have been on the scene for a while now, and in the near future, the complete home may be printed with rapid advancements in this technology.

3D printed homes have seen significant technological development in the last few years. With the new 3D printing systems, large components of homes can now be printed, and soon, entire homes may be attempted. In simple terms, the 3D printers that create houses require large-scale machines with automated arms to produce the home.

It’s been promoted that 3D printed homes will offer you freedom in design while being affordable and durable. Most importantly, the homes can be constructed in a few weeks, and they are built to meet the International Building Code. The technology will allow uncommon architectural structures to be built, which is likely to increase the demand for VR technology.

The reality of building 3D printed homes has been difficult to realize in the past. However, we have some promising signs on the way. The residential building company Sunconomy and the residential development company Forge New together are looking forward to promoting 3D-printed houses. These two companies have partnered with the aim to lease and license Sunconomy’s We Print Houses 3D-printing home system to builders and contractors across the USA.

If you can imagine it, it may soon be viable to build using 3D printing yet with any creative process, it has its challenges. Unforeseen issues are the battle architects face when designing something that is truly unique. VR gives the designers and new homeowners a sense of what the finished product will be like and identify potential issues before they arise. Even the most experienced architects, with the greatest insight and vision, sometimes miss flaws in the design. Think about the Sydney Opera House, for example, a truly unique building yet it was planned to take four years to construct and took 14 years. That’s the nature of designing something that’s never been done before, and that’s why VR is highly encouraged, so you minimize the risks.

Display home visits are a great way to explore a potential home design when you are building a new, stock standard home in Craigieburn. VR gives you a similar experience when you are planning to build something that has never been done before or building in a unique environment.

Nowadays, with VR technology, people can visit many properties in one place. With the use of the Internet and the advantages from VR, real estate companies can build a 360 panoramic photos platform that allows the clients to have a decent site inspection of homes they find interesting.

The WASP

WASP the Italian 3D printer producer collaborates with the architectural firm MCA (Mario Cucinella Architects). These partners are 3D printing a prototype for a sustainable universal home.

The housing model is named TECLA. Its foundation is a circular manufacturing method using recyclable, reusable materials from the surrounding ground. The Crane WASP construction 3D printer has built TECLA. The housing model represents a shot at finding an “eco-housing” solution.

MCA and WASP have started the project due to the house lacking and population growth. They have support from many partners as well. They plan to construct near Bologna, Italy, where MCA is based. These two firms got permission for a TECLA model in May this year, with 3D printing starting in September. They plan to finish at the beginning of next year.

The MCA founder, Mario Cucinella, explains that they plan to develop a groundbreaking model for a habitat that will satisfy the community needs, and it’ll respond to the increasingly pressing climate revolution.

The World’s Advanced Saving Project was created in 2012. WASP was founded to develop sustainable construction processes. These processes are based on circular economy principles. For the 3D printed homes, they plan to use materials found nearby. They see this type of construction as a solution to solving the population crisis in the world. It’s challenging governments to find housing solutions with constant population growth. Its research has been directed on creating a 3D printer that can construct clay houses quickly and sustainably.

PowerWASP was the company’s first 3D printer. This 3D printer had only milling capabilities before the company developed the DeltaWASP series of 3D printers. They covered up to large-scale build volumes. In 2015, WASP developed the innovative BigDelta WASP. This 3D printer is 12 m high and is capable of building homes, using raw and technical (concrete) materials. The company created the Shamballa project with this 3D printer in Italy. They built this eco-friendly technological village utilizing inventive additive manufacturing.

The company built the Crane WASP 3D printer to quicken the development of Shamballa in 2018. They can dismantle and reassemble this printer for on-site construction and swift transport. They used it to finish successfully a small building, called Gaia, in the technological village.

WASP is starting the TECLA project with MC A and believes in the potential of the housing model. They believe it’ll provide a foundation for building autonomous eco-cities.

The TECLA house

MC A designed TECLA, and WASP engineered and built it. The 3D printed house will be the first one built utilizing various collaborative 3D printers. TECLA is also the first house to be completely 3D printed with nearby sourced clay. This will reduce industrial waste, and it’ll offer a sustainable prototype. WASP hopes the model will improve the local and national economy. Also, the 3D printed TECLA house is planned to adjust to various environments, and the Crane WASP 3D printer can build it in one job, hence the construction process is fast.

They developed TECLA utilizing the research from a professional school for sustainable architecture – the School of Sustainability. Mario Cucinella established this school. MA students from the Sustainable Environmental Design program further supported the research.

The researchers worked together and investigated the effects and causes of homelessness. They were searching for technological advances with which they would achieve suitable solutions. They investigated different places with changing climates. With the help of all this information, they created a flexible model, which can adapt to any temperature. Also, TECLA is more energy-efficient than any other traditional housing model.

Just a decade ago, many could not have foreseen how far VR would develop and how its practical use for building designs would evolve. We believe that’s likely to be true for 3D printed homes. While technology is developing quickly, it’s still really a novelty idea. We don’t think it’s far away from the everyday, practical use. Whenever building a new home, it’s highly recommended to have it inspected by a professional who can check for defects throughout the building process. Experienced inspectors know the common issues to check for in a regular building project. With the new technology, building inspectors, surveyors, and designers will have to learn and understand the new technology. It’s likely building homes in this way will be a viable option. We’ll know when that day comes when the volume builders start using this technology. We’re excited to see how it progresses. We love the advancements in the property industry and take advantage of the new technologies for high-quality 360-degree images and videos.