Construction is under way for large-scale 3D-printed houses in Austin, Texas. They were designed by Bjarke Ingels Group, Austin-based technology firm ICON, and Lennar-based homebuilding company Lennar.
ICON and BIG share new images from construction of the project. The 100-home community is located north Austin in Georgetown.
ICON announced construction is under way. Reservations for 3D-printed homes can be made starting in 2023. Prices are expected to start at the mid-$400,000s. This project was announced for the first time in November 2021.
Designed for Georgetown’s master-planned community, named Wolf Ranch by Hillwood Communities, a Perot company, the 100-home community is being built by using innovative robotics, software and advanced materials to create “the world’s largest community of 3D-printed homes”.
Image courtesy ICON
These homes are technologically advanced, sustainable, and architecturally stunning. The new neighborhood are being built by using ICON’s Vulcan construction system – which uses ICON’s proprietary Lavacrete blends – can be specific to climate and location.
“We are very pleased to partner with ICON and BIG in building a first-of-its-kind, printed home community that combines innovative designs with sustainable features at an affordable price,” said Stuart Miller, Executive Chairman of Lennar.
Miller said, “Given the persistent housing shortage across the country,” Miller stated.
Image courtesy ICON
“The homes refer to contemporary Texas ranch style aesthetics”
The homes are a blend of contemporary Texas ranch design aesthetics and digital additive construction.
ICON’s Vulcan construction system, software and advances materials enable the homes to be delivered at some certain speed and at scale. Every home comes with a complete wall system, including exterior and interior walls. This allows for more design freedom and reduces waste.
Image courtesy ICON
“For the first time in the history of the world, what we’re witnessing here is a fleet of robots building an entire community of homes. And not just any homes, homes that are better in every way… better design, higher strength, higher energy performance and comfort, and increased resiliency,” said Jason Ballard, co-founder and CEO, ICON.
“In the future, I believe robots and drones will build entire neighborhoods, towns, and cities, and we’ll look back at Lennar’s Wolf Ranch community as the place where robotic construction at scale began.”
Ballard said that while we still have some work to do, he believes this is a positive and exciting step in the direction of housing issues around the world.
Eight floor plans will be available, with 24 distinct elevations. These homes will offer living space ranging in size from 1,574 to 2,112 sq. feet (146-196 square meters). There will be three to four bedrooms, and two to three bathrooms.
Image courtesy ICON
ICON explained that the rooftop of the homes will be equipped with solar panels to power the structures, as well as featuring components from Lennar’s Connected Home package including “a Ring Video Doorbell Pro, a Schlage Encode™ Smart WiFi deadbolt and a Honeywell Home T6 Pro WiFi smart thermostat.”
Additionally, every home will come with the Wolf Ranch security package.
Image courtesy ICON
Georgetown Mayor Josh Schroeder stated, “We are delighted to welcome Lennar & ICON’s cutting edge home construction technology into Georgetown.”
Schroeder said, “The Georgetown community is proud to honor our past and innovate for the future. We are eager to see what the future holds,”
Image courtesy ICON
ICON and BIG have been working together for a long time on this project. ICON and Bjarke Ingels Group are also working for a 3D-printed multi-home project in Texas and a new 3D-printed research habitat which will be home to NASA’s crew for future missions on Mars.
ICON has launched the first 3D-printed community house in Mexico in 2019, which was completed in 2019.
Top image: View from the construction site at the 100-home community. Image courtesy ICON/Facebook.
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3D-printed houses
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