Architecture

House Zero brings high-end design to 3D-printed architecture

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House Zero is a collaboration between Icon and prestigious US architecture firm Lake|Flato
Casey Dunn
House Zero is a collaboration between Icon and prestigious US architecture firm Lake|Flato
Casey Dunn
House Zero measures roughly 2,000 sq ft (185 sq m), spread over one floor, plus it includes a smaller adjacent accessory dwelling unit
Casey Dunn
House Zero's interior decor mixes the utilitarian 3D-printed walls with generous glazing and wood
Casey Dunn
House Zero's interior includes three bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms, as well as a kitchen and central living room
Casey Dunn
As with all Icon's projects, the printing process for House Zero made use of the firm's own Vulcan 3D printer, which extrudes a proprietary mixture of cement-like material in layers to create the walls
Casey Dunn
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A lot of 3D-printed architecture is focused on creating relatively simple and utilitarian structures that look functional but show little thought paid to aesthetics. However, leading 3D printing firm Icon has joined forces with prestigious studio Lake|Flato to create what they hope will become a new genre of homes that combine the benefits of 3D printing technology with the design chops of high-profile firms.

Originally unveiled back in 2021, House Zero is located in Austin, Texas, and features a modernist ranch style that's not too dissimilar from Lake|Flato's previous output. The interior decor is a mixture of 3D-printed curved walls, plus glass, and wood.

It measures roughly 2,000 sq ft (185 sq m), spread over one floor and includes three bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, as well as a kitchen and central living room. Windows and doors have been carefully situated to frame choice views and maximize natural light inside. Additionally, adjacent to the main house is a smaller accessory dwelling unit that has another bedroom and bathroom.

"While the organic nature of the 3D-printed concrete and curved walls are new design languages for us, House Zero was still entirely in line with the natural connections we seek in our architecture," said Ashley Heeren, associate at Lake|Flato. "The home expresses our shared passions for craft and performance in an inviting and comfortable family home constructed through a totally new way of building. It's been a thrill for our team to work with Icon on such an innovative home design and be a part of the future of homebuilding."

House Zero's interior decor mixes the utilitarian 3D-printed walls with generous glazing and wood
Casey Dunn

As with Icon's previous projects, the construction process made use of the firm's own Vulcan 3D printer system and a proprietary mixture of cement-like material called Lavacrete. According to Icon, its updated printer can extrude cement in layers at up to 5-10 linear inches (12-25 cm) per second, and is capable of printing homes and structures up to 3,000 sq ft (278 sq m). Once the basic house shell was printed, human builders did everything else, like adding doors, electrical wiring, glazing, and plumbing.

Austin, Texas, has become a real boom town for 3D-printed architecture thanks in large part to Icon, which is based locally. House Zero follows its completed 3D-printed home development and unveiling of plans for a second in the city. A company representative told us that the home shown won't be up for sale in the immediate future, but if you're in the area and would like to see it for yourself, it will be available to tour on March 14-15 during Austin's SXSW festival.

Source: Icon

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5 comments
paul314
If you can control every square inch of your walls semi-independently without much added cost, it makes sense that you would be able to unleash all manner of design ideas. Albeit I think the big deal right now is still with making stuff that stands up.
CarolynFarstrider
Is it cheaper, faster or better than the alternative?

Anechidna
The printed walls are a fantastic dust trap. Smooth wall surfaces catch dust but each printed layer provides a wonderful crevice for the dust to collect and the dust mites to play.
ljaques
The wood portion of this home is attractive, but the 3D crete is not even interesting to me at all. For me to live there, I'd need it covered with plaster.
I imagine the crete walls would be covered in blood and patches of skin as people bumped them during the course of their day. They'd likely also catch dust, lint, mud or salt stains (outside) & pet hair. And how would you repair a scuff from a piece of furniture being bumped against one? (Either the furniture or the crete wall.)
I don't know a single person who would react well with concrete floors, walls, and ceilings as their home, yet "architects" are pushing it for residential, commercial, and public spaces. Your mileage may vary.
Live4ktm
In tornado country, this type of structure could make perfect sense. Austin has been home to quite a few 2, 3 and even one F4 tornados since humans began recording. https://data.elpasotimes.com/tornado-archive/