Table of Contents
- 1 The walls of the main home and its accessory dwelling unit were printed at the same time in eight days despite weather and hardware issues.
- 2 The team then spent five additional months finishing the rest of the home, like window installation, wiring, and plumbing.
- 3 And when it was completed, Icon invited me to spend a night in the new three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom build …
- 4 … and the unique construction tech, curved concrete walls, and high-end finishes made House Zero one of the most uniquely designed homes I’ve ever stayed at.
- 5 Spending a night in House Zero made me realize that 3D printing homes can be a strategic and functional construction method while still producing beautiful yet comfortable homes.
- 6 Many 3D printing enthusiasts view the tech as a path toward alleviating our ongoing housing shortage and affordability crisis.
- 7 Like House Zero, a home that could take about a year to build “traditionally” can be printed and completed in just several months …
- 8 … enabling home builders to construct housing cheaper, faster, and more sustainably by using fewer materials and less physical labor.
- 9 The technology might be being heralded as a way to build more affordable homes quicker, but House Zero is far from an example of a budget-friendly home.
- 10 It was meant to flex the range and practicality of Icon’s printing technology, Jason Ballard, Icon’s cofounder and CEO, told Insider in an interview.
- 11 And like all stereotypical model homes, House Zero is filled with high-end furniture and finishes that can woo even the most discerning visitors.
- 12 The rounded walls caught my attention as I drove by the Austin, Texas home for the first time …
- 13 A building with this much exposed concrete is often associated with brutalist architecture, but nothing about House Zero screamed “brutalism” to me.
- 14 The layered lavacrete — Icon’s in-house “high strength” concrete — combined with the curved wall design made House Zero look organic and free-flowing.
- 15 Up until this build I had never seen a layered sloping wall before. And now, I want something similar in my future home.
- 16 And it’s not just for aesthetic reasons. The shape strengthens the home’s structure while serving as a natural open-aired separation of space.
- 17 “We’re not only going to invent robots, we’re also going to invent architecture,” Ballard said. “And it’s not clear that robotics companies have any business inventing architecture.”
- 18 Curvature aside, the striking layered walls — which were strengthened with steel and insulation — were unlike anything I had seen inside a home before.
- 19 There was no need for art on the walls — the grey layers naturally became a focal point of the home’s rooms …
- 20 … while the wooden walls and accents kept the space from appearing too cold and drab.
- 21 The first room off the entryway is the open-concept kitchen, living room, and dining room.