Giant 3D printers that fabricate homes have always done so in large facilities. Rather than assembling pieces printed elsewhere, engineering company Apis Cor has created the very first 3D-printed house using a mobile printer on-site.
Printing the self-bearing walls, partitions, and building envelope took the machine 24 hours to complete. The final result is the first house printed as a whole with an area of 409 square feet.
Erecting the house during the coldest time of the year in Russia was no easy task. The concrete mixture used in the printing only sets right in temperatures above 5 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, the outside temperature was sitting at minus-35 degrees Celsius. A simple solution was found by setting up a sealed tent around the construction site to keep it warm enough.
The technology behind Apis Cor’s 3D printer is unique in its design. Resembling a tower crane, the printer is smaller in size and easy to transport to the site. When the printing is done, Apis Cor lifts the printer out from within the building using a crane manipulator.
Afterward, the final touches are added to make the structure more of a home. The company sprays insulation inside the walls, installs a flat roof, and coats the walls in plaster. Then it paints the walls and installs the windows. The result is a cozy home with a surprisingly open interior. Inside the small space is a hallway, a bathroom, a living room, and a compact yet functional kitchen.
Not only did the 3D-printed home take significantly less time to build than a standard house, but it saved a lot of money as well. The total cost of the printed house came to $10,134. But what’s really important here is that Apis Cor has taken the first step in making 3D printing a real option in the construction market.
