A Dutch couple has moved into their new home, and not just any abode, but one that was automatically printed in just five days and is Europe's first totally 3D-printed residence.
Elize Lutz and Harrie Dekkers were the proud owners of the new two-bedroom home. Reporters described the 1,000-square-foot home as looking like it was straight out of "The Flintstones."
While the house's outer aesthetics may look "low-tech," its overall design and construction represent the latest innovations in real estate architecture.
Would you live in a 3D printed house? https://t.co/3Avt2ubzEF — ABC Melbourne (@abcmelbourne) May 3, 2021
The builders of the unique house said the technology could revolutionize home building in Europe and the rest of the world. Bas Huysmans, the chief executive of construction company Weber Benelux, said the entire structure was built in just 120 hours and the house is made entirely out of concrete, which makes it stronger and able to handle severe weather.
"So all the elements, if we would have printed them in one go, it would have taken us less than five days because the big benefit is that the printer does not need to eat, does not need to sleep, it doesn't need to rest," Huysmans said.
Huysmans said the house is made of 24 concrete elements that were automatically printed by a machine that "squirts" layer upon layer. Different types of cement, which were processed into a toothpaste-like consistency, were fed into a machine that automatically "prints" a pattern based on a computer-generated design.
Once the base structure was completed, finishing touches like insulation, windows and the roof were then added. Huysmans said the home is well insulated and has great acoustics.
"It gives a very good feel, because if you're inside you don't hear anything from outside," Huysmans said.
According to its builders, these types of homes can be built in less than a week and the overall cost is much less when compared to traditional houses. If more houses are built like this, the overall rent and cost of living could be reduced significantly, the construction company said.
Weber Benelux partnered with Eindhoven's Technical University and a group called Project Milestone to build the structure. The goal of the project was to demonstrate how 3D printing technology could be used to make concrete construction more sustainable.