3D-printed homes for low-income community will be built this summer

At SXSW 2018, Austin-based sustainable building startup Icon and housing charity New Story unveiled a 3D-printed concrete home that impressed the crowds. Now, partnering with Yves Béhar, the founder of Fuseproject and design mind behind gadgets like Jambox and August smart lock, Icon and New Story are working on 3D-printing an entire community of homes for impoverished families in Latin America.

Scheduled to take shape this summer in an undisclosed city in Latin America, the 600- to 800-square-foot houses feature walls and structural elements that can be 3D-printed in a day, cutting the time, effort, and ultimately the cost of production.

Through on-the-ground workshops, New Story and Fuseproject were able to develop the homes with local traditions and conditions in mind. The structures feature front and back overhangs to withstand heavy rainfall, local cement blocks with clerestory holes for ventilation, and an outdoor kitchen and area for keeping chickens and gardens.

According to Fast Company, New Story will fund the homes and residents will pay them off with no-interest loans depending on their income, with the money going back into a shared fund to pay for other community resources.

Courtesy New Story and ICON