3D-printed Houston home still on track as work to resume
HOUSTON — After a monthslong delay, construction is expected to resume in the coming months on a highly anticipated 3D-printed home in Houston that has been described as the nation’s first two-story 3D-printed house.
The home launched in 2022 to much fanfare because of its scale — a 4,000square-foot structure that is reportedly much larger than previous 3D-printed homes in the U.S. Designed by a pair of Cornell University professors, the home is meant to be an experiment in integrating conventional construction techniques with 3D printing.
But roughly a year after the initial announcement, activity at the project site on Emnora Lane in Spring Branch quieted. With just the 3D-printed walls on the site for several months, speculation about the project’s future abounded on social media.
However, the project manager and architect, who are working for an undisclosed homeowner, say they are still on track to complete what could be a history-making home.
After a 3D-printed chimney was installed in August, the team paused the project because of a personal family issue, not because of any technical or financing issues, said Sasa Zivkovic, principal at Hannah, the project’s designer.
“I would hope to not describe the project as abandoned. There has been a pause. This is something that has been communicated with neighbors,” Zivkovic said. “The project is resuming.”
Peri 3D Construction completed printing load-bearing walls, said Hikmat Zerbe of Cive, the Houston-based engineer for the project.
“It’s going to look really good, so just give us some time,” Zerbe said.
Unlike smaller consumer machines, 3D printing in construction uses massive printers — in this case, one that sat on a structure measuring 40 feet by 50 feet and 30 feet high. The printer extrudes concretelike material in thick ribbons resembling stacks of toothpaste. A computer program tells the machine how to execute the architect’s design.
Now the general contractor is ordering materials for the next phase of the project, which will include installing framing within about two months, Zivkovic said. Windows and flooring also will be installed in the next phase.
The home’s walls were printed incrementally over several months, he said. The point of the project wasn’t about speed, but about testing hybrid construction systems blending traditional and 3D technologies, he added.
“This is also a research project. We learned a lot about how we optimize the printing process,” Zivkovic said. “This (research) is also looking at the potential future of housing.”
3D home printing has received much attention for its potential as an efficient, affordable method of home construction.
Austin startup Icon 3D has several Texas projects underway, such as nearly $1 million homes in Marfa and 3Dprinted habitats for NASA. Separately, Houston startup Hive3D is employing eco-friendly cement for a collection of vacation rentals in Round Top, north of Houston.