Celebrating everything revolving around the home this week, we were awed to learn that the Chinese company Yingchuang New Materials accomplished a new feat in the world of 3D printing by creating 10 3D-printed homes in 24 hours. In doing so, it just might become a leader in changing the course of urban landscaping.
In typical 3D-printing fashion, and banishing all human labor, the walls were constructed layer upon layer with an enormous automated arm that poured a mixture of recycled construction waste and concrete in a unique structurally sound form. The “printer” was able to create everything but the roofs of the structures, but in context, this is a minor setback, in that the revolutionary new building technique makes use of materials that have little impact on the environment and vastly cuts the time and cost of building. The proof: Yingchuang New Materials’ 10,000 square foot office was built in just one month.
President of Yingchuang New Materials, Ma Yihe, spent 12 years researching 3D printing technology and hopes to see the new method progress to the point that it is used to build skyscrapers. Here’s hoping that 3D printing holds true to the original promise of a technological future, one in which we are alleviated from our arduous labors and free to engage in more pleasant and satisfying pursuits.
