Building on a large scale
100 Houses from the 3D Printer by BIG
© ICON
North of Austin, the Wolf Ranch 3D-Printed Community is being created. To date it is the world’s biggest residential district of 3D-printed houses. One hundred units have been planned in Georgetown, designed by BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group and completed using the Icon company’s Vulcan robot construction system.
The printing process, © ICON
Quick construction
The project offers eight different floorplans; each house measures from 150 to 200 m². Traditional wood-frame construction would take months, but the Vulcan construction system developed by Icon promises building times of around one week. The 3D-printed walls consist of Lavacrete, a cement-based material that is applied layer by layer without cumbersome surface treatments or additional constructions.
Thinking big
One hundred houses in one go: that is quite the promise. The Wolf Ranch 3D-Printed Community is targeting the tight housing market surrounding Austin, which stands to profit from Tesla’s Gigafactory and the establishment of large tech companies. With its population of about 50 000, Georgetown now represents one of the USA’s fastest-growing cities.
The Wolf Ranch 3D-Printed Community. Rendering © ICON
Sustainable planning
Despite their innovative construction, the houses appear relatively conventional from outside. They combine “contemporary Texan ranch style” with the characteristic aesthetics of additive building methods such as horizontally banded walls.
Interior, Rendering © ICON
Moreover, the living spaces feature polished concrete floors, and photovoltaic units have been integrated into the metal roofs in order to improve the homes’ ecological balance.
Architecture: BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group
Client: Lennar
Location: Georgetown,Texas (US)
Construction management: ICON
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