Personal experience: what is a house printed on a 3D printer and is it possible to live in it

Brittany Chung, a California journalist, spent one night in a luxury 3D printed home in Austin, Texas, and now she's convinced the technology is the future of home building. Insider.

Photo: Shutterstock

In early March, 3D printed home builder Icon unveiled House Zero, a 3-square-foot 186D-printed house in Austin, Texas. The walls of the main house and ancillary living quarters were printed simultaneously in eight days, despite weather and equipment problems. The team then spent five months finishing the rest of the house, including installing windows, wiring, and plumbing. When the house was completed, Icon invited Brittany Chung to spend the night in a new three-room apartment with 2 bathrooms.

Its unique construction technology, curved concrete walls and high-quality finishes have made House Zero one of the most interestingly designed homes she has stayed in, Chang said. After spending the night at House Zero, she realized that 3D printing a house can be a strategic and functional building method, yet create beautiful and comfortable homes.

Many 3D printing enthusiasts see the technology as a way to reduce the housing shortage and increase affordability. 3D printing makes it possible to build housing cheaper, faster and more sustainable, using fewer materials and less labor.

The house, designed with the help of Lake Flato Architects, was intended as a showcase home for Icon: a gathering place for investors, the public and journalists. It was meant to show the range and practicality of Icon's typography, said Jason Ballard, co-founder and CEO of Icon. And like all stereotypical typical homes, House Zero is filled with high quality furniture and beautiful finishes. This should attract even the most discerning visitors.

“I was stunned by the beautiful interior design and curved concrete walls, which far exceeded my expectations for a 3D printed home. A building with such exposed concrete is often associated with brutalist architecture, but nothing about House Zero screamed brutalist to me, says Chang. “High-strength concrete combined with a curved wall design made House Zero feel organic and flowing. Before this construction, I had never seen a multi-layer sloped wall before. And now I want something like this in my future home.”

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And this is not only for aesthetic reasons. The form reinforces the structure of the house while serving as a natural division of space. Icon's 3D printing technology makes it easy to print curved walls, which would be significantly more difficult if done using "traditional" building methods.

“We're not just going to invent robots—we're also going to invent architecture,” Ballard said. “And it’s unclear whether robotics companies have any business inventing architecture.”

“Aside from the curvature, the amazing multi-layered walls, reinforced with steel and insulation, were unlike anything I had ever seen. There was no need for art on the walls—the gray layers naturally became the focal point of the home's rooms, while the wood walls and accents kept the space from feeling too cold and gray,” Chang said.

The first room from the entrance is the open plan kitchen, then the living room and dining room. To create a natural division of space, all these areas were separated by concave wall shapes. The dining room was cocooned in concrete, creating an inviting and modern space. This room immediately became Chang's favorite part of the house.

Since it was only partly divided, the dining room still flowed into the kitchen and living room and had all the amenities, including a built-in pantry. The living room had comfortable armchairs and a wall-mounted TV hidden behind a tapestry. It would be the perfect place for entertainment, as the journalist said.

Behind this common space was a large workspace.

“I don't like looking at the wall when I'm working, but there's no denying that this nook was beautifully designed and decorated. The hallway directly off this space leads to the bathroom and master bedroom. The house has three bedrooms and I decided to sleep in the largest one with its own bathroom. The bathroom was far superior to what I've seen in hotels or Airbnbs,” Chang says.

The centerpiece of the room was the shower and bath, which were in their own space, separated by a small glass panel. This room also had a concave wall. But unlike the living room, the concrete layers were covered in a smooth gray finish. The bath and shower were controlled by a touch panel to control the water and its temperature. This is a technological feature that Chang had never used before.

“Within seconds of learning how to use the system, I continued my nightly routine as I would in a “normal” home. And the master bedroom where I slept was just that: a bedroom. Although it was accented by this wavy printed wall. Like the master bathroom, the bathroom's multi-layered concrete walls were covered in the same sleek yet dark finish, creating a cave-like space. The second full bathroom was located at the other end of the room. home between two additional bedrooms, although one of them has been converted into a home office. I spent most of the night in the master bedroom and living room, so I didn't visit that half of the house very often,” Chang says.

Her stay in the 3D printed house ended without a single incident and with one peaceful night.

“I definitely stared at the unique wall design for the first few hours in the house, but then I got used to it,” she says.

In fact, House Zero was nothing more than a home filled with luxurious furnishings and high quality finishes, built in a unique way. It is comfortable, ideal for life and unpretentious, as the journalist says.

She had no difficulty or adjustment period trying to make herself at home.

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“There were plenty of outlets, bright lights, and endless storage—everything I could want in a home. The only feature that set it apart from any other high-end home was the multi-layered and curved walls,” Chung concluded.

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