The Herman Trend Alert

July 13, 2022

3D Printed Homes

Though I spoke at this year's South by Southwest (SWSX) iconic event in Austin, I was disappointed to have missed this extraordinary development in home design and construction. Using a Vulcan printer, the Austin-based construction technology company ICON showed its brand-new 3D-printed home.

A Whole Development of these Homes

Subsequently, a builder in East Austin sold four two to four-bedroom houses constructed using ICON's technology and starting at USD$450,000. At the time that number was approximately the median home price in Austin; it is higher now. The Austin-based firm Logan Architecture designed these homes, and the developer was 3Strands of Kansas City. Each house required only five to seven days of printing time, and they're between 1,000 and 2,000 square feet. As if the savings and design were not enough, the homes have large covered front porches, extensive front yards, covered parking, open concept floor plans, bespoke interior design, vaulted master bedrooms ceilings, large North-facing windows, secluded office/bedrooms, and a minimalist architectural aesthetic.

How the Technology Works

Imagine a gigantic 3D printer; that is exactly how this technology works. Watching the room-size printer extrude concrete that turns into a house is spellbinding. According to ICON, the material used in this breakthrough technology is a proprietary cementitious material called Lavacrete---more durable than traditional construction materials, and 30 percent less expensive. You can watch numerous videos on the ICONbuild.com website. To be precise, ICON 3D-printed the first floor of each of house in the new East 17th Street Residences development; the upper floors were built using conventional construction. My guess is that they are already sold and occupied.

House Zero---a Model Residence

Showcased on ICON's homepage, House Zero is the first home in ICON's Exploration Series, and it is truly beautiful. Designed by the award-winning firm, Lake|Flato Architects, it features a higher level of architectural and energy efficient design. This elevated design highlights the benefits of resiliency and sustainability only found in homebuilding through 3D printing. Located in East Austin, home of the future features a 2,000+ sq-ft, a 3 bedroom/2.5 bath layout, with a bonus 350 sq-ft, 1 bedroom/1 bath Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU). ADUs are very popular in cities like Los Angeles where there is a severe shortage of rental units. Blending the traditional and the leading edge, the house offers mid-century modernist ranch house qualities with the digital possibilities of additive construction, House Zero is a major advancement in modern architecture. In fact, it is so spectacular that I want to buy it.

Take a Look at ICON's Fabulous Home in Austin

If you want to see why I am so enthusiastic about this technology, take a look at ICONbuild.com. Then, you will understand why I am impressed, but fair warning, don't be surprised if you want one, too. But wait, there's more. . .

Printing Extraterrestrial Construction

In addition to building its 3D-printed structures on planet Earth, ICON is working with NASA on research and development of a space-based construction system, with the ultimate goal of putting buildings on the Moon and Mars. To get ready for future long-duration missions to Mars, ICON proposes to use additive construction to 3D print a Martian analog habitat known as Mars Dune Alpha. To support long-duration, exploration-class space missions, the 1,700 square-foot structure will simulate a realistic Mars habitat. At the same time ICON is working with NASA to develop an autonomous additive construction system for further exploration of the Moon. Titled Project Olympus, this project is designed to imagine humanity's first home on another world. The world-renowned architecture firm BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group has been tapped for this audacious project.

What ICON Technology Can Mean for the Future

Resilient, sustainable, and 30 percent less expensive---not to mention striking, to me Icon seems to have a invented a technology which is bound to catch on. Watch for new uses for this leading-edge technology. I love the idea of chopping down fewer trees to build homes.

Next week's Herman Trend Alert: Making Homes More Resilient to Weather

The Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) tells us that winds are becoming more destructive, and most buildings simply aren't ready. In this Alert, we will explore how we can redesign homes to withstand the coming severe weather. All we need to do is look at the increasing frequency of storms and we know we have a problem. Unless and until we stop giving Mother Nature the building blocks for worse storms, we sorely need this redesign.

**********

WATCH JOYCE'S TV SHOW: IT'S YOUR FUTURE WITH JOYCE GIOIA!

Beginning last week, our own author, Joyce starred in her own show on Roku.tv. It's Your Future with Joyce Gioia debuted last week in various timeslots---due to time zones. The first episode recorded last week features Joyce talking about The Great Resignation and what employers must do to be competitive in today's turbulent times. Of course, Joyce will continue to deliver the futures commentary segment of INGOMU's podcast, The Future of Life, Work, and Wellness which also appears on the Futures Television channel on Roku.tv. Each podcast closes with a special commentary from our author Joyce about what the interview insights mean for the future. Eventually, FuturesTelevision.com will offer the listings for the showings of both programs.

*******************

?EARN AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE^® AWARD TO RECRUIT THE PEOPLE YOU NEED NOW

With the workforce crisis detailed in several Herman Trend Alerts, you could really use a leg up in competing for top talent. Winning the Employer of Choice^® Award could be your competitive edge in this very tight labor market. Celebrate your employee-centered corporate culture! This coveted award is well worth the effort, yet is not easy to achieve. Download the extensive application at EmployerofChoice.com; or for a Word^® version, drop a note to Joyce@EmployerOfChoice.com or call Joyce at 1.336.210.3548.

*******************

To read this Herman Trend Alert on the web: https://hermangroup.com/alert/archive_7-13-2022.html.

*********

© Copyright 1998-2022 by The Herman Group, Inc. -- reproduction for publication is encouraged, with the following attribution: From "The Herman Trend Alert," by Joyce Gioia, Strategic Business Futurist. 336-210-3548 or http://www.hermangroup.com. To sign up, visit https://www.HermanTrendAlert.com. The Herman Trend Alert is a trademark of The Herman Group, Inc."