An entire community of 3D-printed homes
by Startacus Admin
The initiative that's aiming to use 3D printing to create a global solution to homelessness, with an entire community of 3D-printed homes.
We may be a long way from doing a Jean Luc Picard and asking our wall for an Earl Grey (hot), but 3D printing is a rapidly evolving technology that has a lot more potential than just printing out a little plastic Infinity Gauntlet, and yes we have gone off on a tangent thinking about all the things we’d print if we had a 3D printer, but don’t worry about that. 3D printing has come a long way already since the 1980s: prosthetic limbs and tailor-made masks and casts, and even 3D-printed ovaries (for a mouse, but still…); guns, unfortunately; musical instruments; machinery parts, car parts, product prototyping; and yes, even edible prints.
We’re only just starting to understand just what kind of materials can be used to 3D print, and just how viable a technology it is for far more than entertainment and art.
One of the most interesting and important uses of the technology came when a 400 sq ft house was built in Moscow by startup Apis Cor in under 24 hours.
An entire two-storey house was 3D-printed from concrete in Beijing in just 45 days, and German researchers have even worked out how to 3D print glass. Such a quick built time as the Russian build means these houses could be erected for those affected by natural disasters, but Apis Cor says that the houses will last about 175 years, so these aren’t just short-term solutions.
And that is where Swiss designer Yves Béhar and San Francisco–based social impact organization New Story come in. 
On a trip to Haiti, New Story CEO Brett Hagler saw that even years after the 2010 earthquake, people were living in tents with no apparent housing solution in sight. So New Story teamed up with ICON, a construction technologies company specialising in 3D printing. With Yves Béhar as creative director, this team is aiming to set in motion a global solution to homelessness.
This summer, the team will be completing an entire community of 3D-printed homes in Latin America.
The homes are designed carefully, even doing away with corners where possible to lower the chances of nesting insects and mould growing; additional storeys can be added to the houses without the need for a 3D printer, so that families can expand without too much strain. New Story wants others all around the world to be able to do the same, but they are setting guidelines to ensure that it is done right, with the input of those who will be living in the homes to cater to their needs.
We have written a number of articles that point out ways homelessness is being combatted, and that highlight just how widespread the issue is, so it goes without saying that we are fully behind a project that can put together inexpensive, quick housing for those in need, and to do so with care...
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you would like to receive our startup themed newsletter, full of the latest startup opportunities, events, news, stories, tips and advice, then sign up here.
Innovative project launched by UK Proptech startup to reduce workers' commuting and in turn help alleviate pollution and congestion
Startup funding is never easy, however here are a few of the options that can help you fund your startup without going broke in the process
Innovative startups are currently being sought by BMW Group Financial Services UK which has just launched the third instalment of its Innovation Lab
Starting a business can be a lot of hard work, so here's a few ways to avoid burnout and find a healthy work life balance.
The child health app on a mission to become the first nationwide digital redbook, just got a step closer to making their mission a reality...
The Cambridge-based startup that has created an empowering tool to drive the next wave of biological innovation
At one-day event Ideation NI Thon, students will get the chance to solve global and local sustainability, environmental, city and health problems.
NI startup ESTHER, a peer-2-peer giving platform allowing charitable donors to give money directly to people living in poverty, head to New York for a 4-day fact finding mission.
The lowdown on how an Australian startup generated global sales for their innovative product, "weighted blankets"...
At 82% the UK takes 4th place in the list of countries being most ready for automation and robotics, whilst 30% of UK population’s jobs are at risk of automation.
Published on: 26th May 2019
.png)
If you would like to enable commenting via your Startacus account, please enable Disqus functionality in your Account Settings.
- Ideation NI Thon at NI Science Festival sets out to solve global issues 17th Jan 2020 At one-day event Ideation NI Thon, students will get the chance to solve global and local sustainability, environmental, city and health problems.
- NI startup ESTHER takes flight to New York 16th Jan 2020 NI startup ESTHER, a peer-2-peer giving platform allowing charitable donors to give money directly to people living in poverty, head to New York for a 4-day fact finding mission.
- 2019 stats show that the gender pay gap continues 14th Jan 2020 Recent research by Starling bank shows that in 2019, women earned up to £12,319 less per year than their male colleagues of the same age and within the same industry
- Digital DNA Awards 2020 nominations now open 13th Jan 2020 The Digital DNA Awards, held in partnership with MCS Group, celebrate the best tech talent, from companies of all sizes, excelling in the world of Digital and Tech and not just in NI...
