Faster and cheaper: housing created with the help of a 3D printer can replace ordinary houses

Made from recycled materials, including plastic water bottles and containers for food, as well as from polymer resin reinforced with glass fiber. This approach reduces the need for traditional building materials.

The United States of America is facing a serious housing shortage. In connection with this problem, new technologies are emerging, one of which is houses printed on a 3D printer. Newsweek writes about it.

Azure Printed Homes, a company based in Southern California, has developed a 3D printing process that makes it possible to produce houses costing about $35,000. They are made from recycled materials, including plastic water bottles and food containers, as well as polymer resin reinforced with fiberglass. This approach reduces the need for traditional building materials such as lumber, potentially reducing both costs and environmental impact.

According to the company, this method enables homes to be built 70 percent faster and 30 percent more economical than traditional methods.

At the Azure manufacturing facility, a huge 3D printer creates the exterior of each house by extruding molten plastic in a continuous, seamless layer. The result is a structure that is not only airtight and insect-resistant, but can also be manufactured in a variety of sizes.

“We are very pleased to be recognized for the revolutionary changes in the construction industry associated with the development of environmentally friendly and affordable housing construction solutions,” — Ross Maguire, CEO of Azure Printed Homes, said in a statement earlier this year.

Azure said they can deliver homes in just four weeks thanks to advanced 3D printing technology. Customers can even design them online through the configurator, and the printed blocks are manufactured in advance and delivered directly to the customer's site.

However, such an innovation could turn into problems for the construction industry, as a reduction in the need for labor could affect the labor market, and also have wider implications for industries whose business depends on construction. As of August 2024, the U.S. construction industry employed nearly 8.28 million people, according to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is the highest indicator since the beginning of the 21st century.