A few years ago, my wife and I were fortunate to be introduced to New Story, a nonprofit working to make homes available to those without around the world. At the time, they were raising money for a community of homes in Nacajuca, Mexico, that would dramatically improve the quality of life for many families. |
We thought that was a great idea. What made it even cooler, was how New Story intended to build the community– using 3D concrete-printing technology to automate much of the construction work. The printer is named Vulcan II and it was made by ICON, an Austin-based construction technology company. It took three years of prototyping to get a printer capable of this project, the company said. |
The 33-foot printer pipes out a concrete mix that hardens when it dries, building the walls one layer at a time. It takes 24 hours over several days to build two houses at the same time – that’s about two times faster than it takes New Story to build a home with regular construction.
The application of this technology to building homes for those in need, many families who are living on an average of $3 a day, brings a ton of hope for the future.
