A tech company in Ireland has completed Europe's first social housing — usually referred to in the United States as affordable housing or subsidized housing — project to involve 3D-printing technology, 3D Printing Industry reported.
Harcourt Technologies Ltd., also known as HTL.tech, completed the project in Grange Close, Ireland, in just 132 days. The company claimed a 35% reduction in build time, saying that a similar project using traditional construction methods would have taken over 200 days.
"HTL.tech is extremely proud to be the first company in Europe to build a structure that complies with the rigorous new [...] additive manufacturing standard. The COBOD BOD2 3D printer was crucial in this accomplishment, enabling us to complete the Grange Close Social Housing Scheme 35% faster than traditional methods," said Justin Kinsella, director of HTL.tech.
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For sure 👍 As 3D-printing technology has improved, more projects of this type have popped up around the world, including one in Texas, an earthquake-resistant 3D-printed house in Guatemala, and a community center in Tanzania.
The major benefit of 3D-printing houses is that it makes the entire construction process much faster, as Harcourt Technologies highlighted. Despite some valid concerns, they also seem to have passed safety checks in the areas where they are being constructed.
These homes also reduce pollution during development thanks to shorter build times and fewer wasted resources. According to Oizom, the construction industry is responsible for 23% of the world's air pollution, 40% of drinking water contamination, and 50% of landfill waste.
The main downside is that, like other fields that are becoming more automated, 3D-printing homes takes away jobs from skilled laborers — a fact that industry leaders are gloating about with phrases such as "reducing labor costs."
However, home builders, construction workers, contractors, and the like will not be replaced overnight. Most 3D-printed houses can reach just one story in height, and, as of yet, there is no way to 3D-print electric work, plumbing, and some of the other necessary components of a home.
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