House In A Hurry
It may look like little more than a glorified concrete shed, but this humble prefab home represents the future of prefabrication and architecture within every recycled fibre of its 3D-printed body. Earlier this month, innovative Shanghai-based company WinSun assembled an impressive 10 of these 3D-printed modular homes in 24 hours, each costing less than $5000 to construct . . .
The prototype turns house manufacturing and technology on its head, with four specially engineered 6.6m x 10m x 32m printers used to produce the structural components of the homes – spraying layer by layer of wall, floor and bracing offsite. Apart from its low cost point, the prototype is uniquely sustainable, consisting of nothing but concrete partly made from recycled construction waste, industrial waste and glass fibres. While not 3D printing in the strictest sense, this method of rapid construction promises a sustainable design and a cost-effective solution for the increasing housing crises in developing countries.
We may not get to see it in Australia any time soon, but we can certainly marvel at its ingenuity and potential – especially as WinSun plans to expand its operations into some 100 recycling factories to produce their 3D ink, hopefully utilising the technology in the skyscrapers of the future.
