Photos: Icons new 3D printed luxury home in Austin – Business Insider

But Icon — an Austin-based 3D printing home construction company — might prove your preconceived notions wrong.

Icon's over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin. There are printed exterior walls with a glass panel in between the curved walls/ — Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

I spent a night in Icon’s recently completed House Zero and found the luxurious Austin home as warm and welcoming as any traditionally constructed abode.

Inside Icon's over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin. There's a dining table surrounded by rounded concrete walls/ — Inside Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Inside Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

But unlike most homes, House Zero’s walls were constructed (or printed) in eight days, which might be the fastest of any home I’ve ever stayed in.

Icon's over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin. There's a printed exterior wall that makes up the outdoor garage. — Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

After spending a weekend inside House Zero, I can confidently say I could see myself living inside a printed home …

Icon's over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin. There are printed exterior walls with a glass panel in between the curved walls/ — Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

… especially one as luxurious as House Zero.

Inside Icon's over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin. There's decor on a table in front of a printed wall and wood. — Inside Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Inside Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Using 3D printers for home construction is still a relatively new concept, but printed homes have already begun popping up around the world from China to Mexico to the Netherlands.

3d printed concrete home with project milestone — A 3D-printed concrete home with Project Milestone.

A 3D-printed concrete home with Project Milestone.

Source: Insider, Icon, Insider

And this technology could not have arrived at a better time.

Inside Icon's over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin. There's a series of printed features in front of the home. — Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

We’re in the midst of a serious housing affordability crisis in the US.

Inside Icon's over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin. There's a bedroom with a bed, mirror and ceiling fan in front of a layered printed concrete wall. — Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Inventory is low, the market is competitive, and inflation and material shortages have sent construction costs soaring.

Inside Icon's over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin. There's a lounge chair with a floor lamp surrounded by other furniture like a couch, coffee table, and another lounge chair. — Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Source: Insider

It’s a stressful time for both potential homebuyers and construction companies, but Icon says its technology may provide a solution.

Inside Icon's over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin. There's cactus in front of a printed wall. A lounge chair is next to this decor. — Inside Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Inside Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

The company has built a variety of projects from residential dwellings to tiny homes for unhoused Texans.

rendering of the 100-home 3D-printed community from Icon, Lennar, and BIG — A rendering of the upcoming 100-home community.

A rendering of the upcoming 100-home community.

Icon is now also working with NASA to test the viability of 3D-printed dwellings on Mars and the moon.

Inside Icon's over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin. There's a red printed concrete sculpture. — A sample of the material used in the NASA project.

A sample of the material used in the NASA project.

The Texan company isn’t the only group spearheading the growing 3D printing home construction market …

Inside Icon's over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin. There's a lounge chair with a floor lamp. — Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

… but it’s already broken ground in the industry with the US’ “first” 3D printed homes for sale.

The 3D printed homes in Austin, Texas. — Icon’s 3D printed homes in Austin, Texas.

Icon’s 3D printed homes in Austin, Texas.

Source: Insider

When completed, it’ll be the largest neighborhood of 3D-printed homes yet.

rendering of the 100-home 3D-printed community from Icon, Lennar, and BIG — A rendering of the upcoming 100-home community.

A rendering of the upcoming 100-home community.

Source: Insider

Like other 3D printing companies, Icon argues that the technology can build homes inexpensively, faster, and more sustainably compared to traditional homebuilding.

Icon's over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin. There's a printed exterior wall under wooden roof features. — Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

The tech is still in its infancy, but Icon’s robotic system has already made homebuilding “dramatically faster and meaningfully cheaper” …

A 3D printed wall next to a wooden and glass panel. — Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

… with the opportunity to become even quicker and more inexpensive in the future, Jason Ballard, Icon’s cofounder and CEO, told Insider in an interview.

Icon's over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin. The exterior of the home is made of layered printed concrete that hold up the wooden roof. — Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

This solution may sound too good to be true, but Icon’s new House Zero might be a testament to these claims.

Inside Icon's over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin. There's a dark bathroom with a toilet, mirror, sink. — Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

According to Ballard, House Zero is the first home designed specifically for robotic construction.

Inside Icon's over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin. There's a mirror showing a bed. — Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Icon’s 3D printing secret lies in its large in-house Vulcan printer system and “high strength” concrete, called ‘lavacrete.”

The ADU next to Icon's home. There are plants wrapped in plastic bags around the home. — The ADU next to Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

The ADU next to Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Source: Icon

Together, the Vulcan printer and lavacrete can turn a potential years-long construction project into a several-month endeavor.

Inside Icon's over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin. There's a living room with a lounge chair, couch, and coffee table. — Inside Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Inside Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

And its newest home House Zero, located in a quiet neighborhood in Austin, is no exception.

Icon's over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin. The exterior of the home is made of layered printed concrete that hold up the wooden roof. There's a mail box in front of the home. — Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

The printer was set up on-site in about half a day.

Icon's over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin. The exterior of the home is made of layered printed concrete that hold up the wooden roof. — Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

And despite weather and hardware issues, the walls of both the home and the ADU were completed in eight days, shaving off weeks to months of construction time when compared to “traditional” methods.

Icon's over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin. There's a driveway leading up to the home. — Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

It then took the team five months to put the finishing touches — such as window installation, wiring, plumbing — on the home and its ADU.

Inside Icon's over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin. There's a desk space with a desk, light, chair. — Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Aesthetically, House Zero’s curved concrete walls make the home pop compared to its neighbors.

Inside Icon's over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin. There's a bedroom with a bed, mirror and ceiling fan in front of a layered printed concrete wall. — Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

And this was intentional: The home was designed to show off the 3D printer’s capabilities, a “big risk” for the team, Ballard told Insider.

Inside Icon's ADU next to House Zero in Austin. There's a lounge chair next to a TV in front of a bed. — Inside Icon’s ADU next to House Zero in Austin.

Inside Icon’s ADU next to House Zero in Austin.

“We’re not only going to invent robots, we’re also going to invent architecture,” he said. “And it’s not clear that robotics companies have any business inventing architecture.”

Inside Icon's over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin. There's a nightstand with a light next to a bed. — Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

But luckily for Ballard, the home is “better than he even hoped.”

Inside Icon's over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin. There's a set of hanging lights next to a printed wall. — Inside Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Inside Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

“I became afraid that my technology would be used to build an uglier world,” Ballard said. “I don’t wanna build a worse world faster and cheaper. I want to build a better world faster and cheaper.”

Inside Icon's over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin. There's a kitchen with an island, chairs, in front of large windows that flood the space with light. — Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

With the help of Texas-based Lake|Flato Architects, Icon created a house unlike any I’ve ever seen.

Inside Icon's over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin. There's a mirror showing a bed. — Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Inside, the three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom home is filled with high-end finishes that turn a concrete and wood home …

Inside Icon's over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin. There's a bed next to a mirror. — Inside Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Inside Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Source: Icon

… into a “mid-century modernist ranch house” charmer filled with luxury furniture.

Inside Icon's over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin. There's a cactus in front of the printed wall. — Inside Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Inside Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Source: Icon

Its cozy decor contrasts the cool-toned lavacrete that makes up the walls of the home.

Inside Icon's over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin. There's a living room with a lounge chair, couch, and coffee table. — Inside Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Inside Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

These walls look more like precisely layered frosting on a cake than layers of concrete, but the unique walls are the home’s crown jewels.

A floor lamp casting light onto the concrete walls. — Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

The curved walls of the dining room, shower, and main bedroom were especially eye-catching and created a natural separation of space in a way traditional construction couldn’t have done.

Inside Icon's over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin. There's a dining table surrounded by rounded concrete walls/ — Inside Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Inside Icon’s over 2,000-square-foot House Zero in Austin.

Leave a comment Cancel reply