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ICON, a construction technologies company based in Austin, is teaming up with home builder Lennar to construct the world’s largest neighborhood of 3D-printed homes.
The 100 3D-printed homes will be co-designed by architecture firm BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group and will bypass the building challenges of the post-pandemic materials shortage by instead using building technology, according to CBS Austin. The project is set to break ground in 2022.
“Labor and material shortages are two of the biggest factors pushing the dream of homeownership out of reach for many American families,” said Eric Feder, President of LENX. “Lennar has always expanded the boundaries of technological innovation to keep quality homes affordable and 3D printing is an immensely encouraging approach. We are excited to collaborate with ICON to develop solutions to emerging challenges in the coming years.”
ICON claims its Vulcan construction system can deliver homes and structures up to 3,000 square feet that are built to the International Building Code (IBC) structural code standard and expected to last as long or longer than standard Concrete Masonry Unit (CMU) built homes. ICON also claims its proprietary wall system and advanced materials are stronger and longer-lasting than traditional building materials and provide safer, more resilient homes that are designed to withstand extreme weather, greatly reduce the impact of natural disasters, and be printed at high speeds and at scale.
“The United States faces a deficit of approximately 5 million new homes, so there is a profound need to swiftly increase supply without compromising quality, beauty, or sustainability and that is exactly the strength of our technology," said ICON co-founder and CEO Jason Ballard.
