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I Stayed in Icon’s New Luxury 3D Printed Home in Austin, Texas

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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.

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.

Brittany Chang/Insider

The team then spent five additional months finishing the rest of the home, like window installation, wiring, and plumbing.

A 3D printed wall under a wood roof.

And when it was completed, Icon invited me to spend a night in the new three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom build …

A wavy 3D printed wall in front of a bed.

… 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.

A mirror leaning against a 3D printed wall reflecting a bed next to the mirror.

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.

The driveway leading up to House Zero.

Many 3D printing enthusiasts view the tech as a path toward alleviating our ongoing housing shortage and affordability crisis.

Green plants against a 3D printed wall.

Like House Zero, a home that could take about a year to build “traditionally” can be printed and completed in just several months …

The car park of the 3D printed house.

… enabling home builders to construct housing cheaper, faster, and more sustainably by using fewer materials and less physical labor.

A lounge chair next to a light in the living room.

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.

A cactus against a 3D printed wall.

Source: Insider, Insider

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.

A dining table surrounded by curving 3D printed walls.

And like all stereotypical model homes, House Zero is filled with high-end furniture and finishes that can woo even the most discerning visitors.

A light fixture in front of a 3D printed wall.

The rounded walls caught my attention as I drove by the Austin, Texas home for the first time …

The exterior of Icon's 3D printed House Zero on a cloudy day.

A building with this much exposed concrete is often associated with brutalist architecture, but nothing about House Zero screamed “brutalism” to me.

The exterior of Icon's 3D printed House Zero on a cloudy day.

The layered lavacrete — Icon’s in-house “high strength” concrete — combined with the curved wall design made House Zero look organic and free-flowing.

A mirror leaning against a 3D printed wall reflecting a bed.

Up until this build I had never seen a layered sloping wall before. And now, I want something similar in my future home.

A hallway with a bathroom to the left and a bedroom down the hall.

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.

The bed behind a 3D printed wall.

“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.”

A desk in front of a 3D printed wall surrounded by windows.

Curvature aside, the striking layered walls — which were strengthened with steel and insulation — were unlike anything I had seen inside a home before.

A bed in front of a 3D printed wall

There was no need for art on the walls — the grey layers naturally became a focal point of the home’s rooms …

A console table with a plant in front of a 3D printed wall.

… while the wooden walls and accents kept the space from appearing too cold and drab.

3D printed walls in between wooden walls.

The first room off the entryway is the open-concept kitchen, living room, and dining room.

The living room inside the 3D printed home with lounge chairs, a rug, plants, and lights.