It has been one year since this cozy little home, which was built in just 24 hours, was unveiled as America's first permitted, 3D-printed home in Austin, Texas.
Now, the masterminds behind the house are beginning construction on 50 more homes for poor families in rural Latin America.
The initiative is being managed by Silicon Valley-based nonprofit New Story in collaboration with Icon, the tech company that designed the specialized 3D-printer. Once construction on their "first-of-its-kind" neighborhood is completed, it will be used to house families who make less than $200 per month.
The neighborhood's speedy, inexpensive construction is being facilitated by the Vulcan II: a 3D-printer that was designed specifically for building cheap homes. After its printing predecessor made headlines for building its first home in Austin, the researchers spent the following year refining its design so that it could withstand harsh outdoor conditions and be easier to use.
Icon says the Vulcan II is now commercially available for international use and they will begin actively shipping the printer beginning next month. Pre-orders are also being accepted for 2020 delivery.
"Vulcan II is ready to move out of ICON's lab and into the world next month to begin its very good work of delivering affordable, resilient dignified housing around the world," Icon said in a statement.
"Vulcan II is the first printer of its kind in that it has the capability of printing homes in which people actually want to live. It can be operated by anyone with basic training thanks to the improvements in automation, mechatronics and a suite of specialized software."
Build Some Positivity With Your Friends By Sharing The Good News To Social Media – Photo by New Story
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