I stayed at ICON's 3D printed concrete house in Austin!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ก.ค. 2024
- ICON is one of the most recognizable names in the 3D printed concrete business. Their highly publicized East 17th Street Residences in Austin, Texas are finally complete and I stayed overnight in one of them!
Link to my Patreon page: / belinda_carr
Chapters
0:00 Introduction
0:38 3D Concrete Printing
2:47 Exterior design
3:50 Interior design
5:16 Insulation
6:57 Cost
7:34 Conclusion
@automateconstruction / @automateconstruction
The 4 houses are located in a rapidly growing neighborhood in East Austin. They were designed by Logan Architecture and developed by 3Strands. Once concrete foundations were poured, the exterior walls were printed with ICON’s Vulcan printer. They used a proprietary cementitious material called Lavacrete. 1” tall and 2” wide beads of concrete were printed at a rate of 5-7” per second. The exterior walls have 2 layers, while the interior wall has 1 layer. All the starts and stops are hidden behind window and door openings. Excess concrete was used to make sloped lintels and frames for the windows.
Any concrete used in 3D printing isn’t actually concrete, it’s mortar because it doesn’t contain gravel or coarse aggregates. I’m not sure how strong Lavacrete is, because one page of ICON’s website says that it has a compressive strength of 6,000 psi, but another page says that it is a more reasonable 2000-3500 psi. The concrete walls, door and window frames were painted with a white elastomeric paint. This liquid paint hardens into a flexible, watertight covering. It can also bridge and repair non-structural hairline cracks. Only the first floors of the 4 houses have 3D printed walls, the upper floors are made of traditional 2x6 wood framing.
The use of color on the exterior of the house is very successful. The horizontally striated concrete walls on the lower level are painted white. The wood construction on the upper level is clad in vertically striated black metal paneling. This draws your eye upwards and makes the building seem taller than it is.
The interiors are clean and minimalist. Claire Zinnekar, the interior designer, went for a “West Texas” vibe or what I call Marfa chic. I think the exposed concrete walls are a classier version of the overdone wood shiplap walls. The roughness of the concrete walls are contrasted by super smooth, level 5 finish drywall. The kitchen cabinets, flooring, ceiling and even the furniture were all a light wood finish with minimal texture. The joints at the uneven concrete walls are pretty rough. There are gaps at the edge of the countertop, the cabinets, and even at the door frame. That’s just the reality of 3D printing right now, it’s not perfect.
Even though the wind was howling outside, the moment we stepped in and closed the front door, it was wonderfully quiet. The 3D printed walls have a layer of open cell insulation in between, but also rely on thermal mass. Apart from the door and window openings, the inner wall never meets the outer wall, which reduces thermal bridging.
This shows us the advantages of concrete construction over stick building. The house is very insulated and very comfortable. Positive Energy designed an ERV or Energy Recovery Ventilation system for every house. It brings in fresh air continuously at a rate of 70 cubic feet per minute. An Air Handling Unit circulates this fresh air throughout the house. The bathrooms don’t have a traditional exhaust because of the ERV system.
All 4 units have been sold and will be rented on Airbnb and VRBO.
2 bedroom 1.5 bath listed for 1,106 sq ft $450,000
4 bedroom 3 bathroom 1,521 sq ft $745,000
4 bedroom 3 bathroom 1,928 sq ft $795,000
The entire project is very refined and well thought-out. They take pride in these homes and want the inhabitant to feel that same sense of pride. ICON even embedded a medallion at the entrance to the home. As much as I loved the architecture and site layout, I was disappointed that they printed mostly straight walls. They didn’t explore the 3 dimensional capabilities of the technology. These homes could have been made with CMU block walls or precast panels, but those walls aren’t as enticing as 3D printed walls.
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SOURCES
• 3D-printed Homes by IC...
• ICON - 3D Printing 2,0...
• 4 3D Printed Houses by...
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#3dprinting #3dprintedhome #concrete #3dcp #robotic - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
I fear the walls would need constant dusting to prevent unsightly buildup of dust layers on the small crevices of every lavacrete layer.
Time to bring back the trade of plastering
@@morninboy :) I love plastering.
lol I'm glad I'm not the only one who looks at something and thinks "but how easy is it to keep clean?'
@@morninboy Exactly 👍🏻
I would imagine if this was my house I would simply render the interior walls to prevent this.
This reaffirms my view that 3D printed homes are an intriguing concept, but not yet something I would aspire to live in. The technology does seem to be progressing, at least
What progress in the technology have you noticed?
3D printing is automated additive manufacturing. We already use additive manufacturing to build structures, bricks on the small scale and poured formworks for skyscrapers. The future of construction is in 3D printing, but it'll use infinite axis 3D printers to print formworks onsite that concrete can be poured into. That is far more practical than these silly concrete fdm/extrusion printers.
@@xumatyt the fact that they have actually started building liveable homes using it seems like significant progress, they certainly have a long way to go before it becomes a mature technology but it isn't like we have been doing this for 30 years or something.
I like the word aspire
I see alot of headaches using this tech over just a stick built first floor.. looking at all the systems I play in a house (thermal, moisture, plumbing, electrical), I only see problems using this tech.
If you have coordinated a build with sub contractors, you will know there is a lot that needs to be manually done to those walls and it's allot harder in masonry. The insulation approach wasn't fully explained because if those walls are load bearing, they would need to have interior lattice ties between the exterior and interior layers. They could be pouring piers to make none of the exterior walls load bearing but that seems odd.
Cleaning those interior walls of dust (or grease, in the kitchen) is going to be a nightmare. And that rough exterior would be a real problem in a wetter climate, I suspect. I can imagine algae growing in the crevices that only a power washer would get out. I think there is still a ways to go before this is more generally useful.
Use copper strips at transition from concrete to wood.
It’s common in upstate NY (a wetter climate) to need to power wash vinyl siding every other year or annually. I don’t know how the exterior coating on this mortar wall would be any worse or even very different.
Seems can be sealed with a oligiodynamic or other treatment for critters and pathogens. Might even looks neat with like a metallic say copper or silver coating... maybe even a specific oxide in maybe like an acrylic matrix.
If building those structural walls is faster than block wall, we could just plaster them... Though, i imagine that would eat heavily into time savings.
It's funny you should mention that because I was just thinking about how cool the walls would look with mosses growing on them.
I like the fact that even though you were invited to stay there, you still pointed out flaws and imperfections as well as the plus points to offer a more thorough insight on what this is like.
I’m happy I found this channel. You go over everything, you back things up with proof and generally present things in an unbiased manner imo.
normally but not this time
@@jocosson8892 Like what you are doing now with your insipid remark?
I greatly enjoy the straightforward authentic feel of your videos. Heavy on information, light on distracting eye candy. Well done.
Me too, I find this so refreshing
You can use simple caulking to fill in the wall spacings and around the outlets. I have no idea why they didn't just do that.
The foam backing used on external plug covers would have worked as well, and would allow easier servicing. Caulking certainly should have been done around all the trim gaps though. It just makes it look shoddily made when it isn't competently finished out.
Those are awful. The fitting. and the choice with those walls. Effort towards an elegant outlet cover would be well spent. I would just want to plaster the interior. Run electric in a baseboard or chair rail.
@@markeastridge9649 - If they chose to leave the concrete exposed, they might as well go all the way, and run the electrical housing on the exterior. I'd also have put sections of painted particle board in certain areas, so you could actually stick or nail something to a wall. The uneven concrete sacrifices basic utility for the sake of a gimmick.
Any morning with a new Belinda Carr video is a good morning. Love the no-nonsense reporting, you’re like the Clint Eastwood of architecture videos.
If I'm correctly reading between lines:
- great as a homeless shelter or an AirBnB novelty
- as expensive as a normal house
Years ago I heard about a company that used a trowel sort of tool on the nozzle to smooth out the edges of the layers. Be interested in seeing a video on that technique.
There are multiple companies still doing that and it is improving constantly. One day hopefully it will be a perfectly smooth wall indistinguishable from slipform.
Here in Bali, concrete is often used as a roof, and damp becomes a problem instantly: after the first rain. The education about proper damp proofing is solely lacking. Please discuss 🙏😊
I guess they'll get the fit/finish issues worked out in time, I bet the first stone or brick houses weren't so hot either.
Another good job, Belinda!
Nah those houses probably were pretty good if the people building them actually cared about the work.
I have to say, I'm really enjoying this channel. I appreciate the way you approach these subjects, balancing scepticism and enthusiasm. I don't know anything about architecture, but I like to learn about design and technology, and I wish more popularisation media could hit this vibe.
I still don't think the tech qualifies for homeless shelter construction
@@BelindaCarr Yeah, I watched your videos where you're much more critical of the technology, and from what I understand, it's not all it's hyped up to be. I feel like it's an interesting development, and perhaps with new materials and processes, there's potential here, but for now 3D printing seems to me more like an attention-grabbing gimmick than a solution to real-world problems.
I had a house in BC, Canada (Livingstone Homes); and to reduce thermal bridging they had the narrower studs staggered on the inside and outside of the frame cavity; with the insulation overlapping in the common area; and where all studs had insulation around them. Due to the narrower studs they were 12 inches apart instead of the standard 16 inches. It worked well.
These are the first iterations of a relatively new idea in home construction. Materials have no long term studies to assess. The "printers" are purpose built for these materials. I agree with you that some curved walls would be great for reasons beyond esthetics. Air flow, dust and debris depositing and cleaning, and structural strength are just a few that come to mind. I would love to see a circular staircase printed in situ! If you look at the innovations in the 3d printer maker market, we now have dual nozzles, metallic compounds available, better sensors and a host of adjustments for earlier design mistakes. Wider adoption of the tools and increased capabilities of software associated with the technology have made 3d printing more user friendly and no longer cost prohibitive. I subscribe to your channel just for these videos. Kudos!
And fibre reinforcing to strengthen materials used for printing. Doesn’t work as well between layers though so it might not be useful here unless you use vertically undulating layers.
Did you mean to put the dollar signs in front of the square footage at 7:30?
Great video, I'm glad to hear you talk more about advances in the 3d printed construction since now I know what kind of things you look for every time there's a hot new headline. And now I know about thermal bridging!
Jared is doing a great job. He deserves your recognition. 3d is not perfect, but were getting there.
Thanks! Belinda has such a great way of comparing and contrasting construction methods it was very important to me to get her input on 3D printed houses.
Thank You so much, Belinda. Your observations are very much appreciated, and needed for this "new" building method, and material! Thanks to you and your hubby for sharing!
@Belinda Carr, You make phenomenal content. I am very grateful that I found your channel. Keep it up.
Fantastic stuff, your thoroughness is hugely appreciated.
Really cool, thorough video. Feel like I got a very clear view of many aspects of these homes. Thanks!
I love your videos. They're very well researched and balanced. You've earned my subscription :)
Great video well done!
@Belinda Carr Very insightful content about home architecture. Thank you and please continue this effort to review the quality of home construction.
Thank you for this video, you are my go-to on 3D printed homes. My question is, why don't they just skim coat the walls to make them smooth? I like the aesthetic on the outside, but on the inside it needs to be more practical. In my view.
Some companies I have visited do employ this strategy to get different wall textures, none are perfect yet but some are getting close!
3D printing will become an actual good solution for architecture when, instead of focusing on speed, they take advantage of the layers system to facilitate the installation of pipes and cables within the walls. Ideally, using the same machine (although with different heads/arms).
Also... wouldn't it be possible to attach a small robotic arm with an spatula to the printing head to smooth the not-concrete as it is deposited?
I love your videos, it’s really nice to find someone who actually does their search and also goes out to learn more about the subject before making videos.
Fantastic video! Thank you so much for sharing!!
I really respect how much you go into detail.
Excellent overview, thanks.
1:19 "Mortar" and "concrete" are terms that are more related to their function than material. The term "mortar" is reserved for the substance that connects other masonry objects together like brick, block and tile. The term "Concrete" is used when similar material is used as a mass for things like floors and walls. All mortar and concrete have some sort of aggregate even if it is just a sand or sand like material and these are considered small aggregates. The function of Portland cement which is contained in mortars and concretes, is to "glue" or adhere the aggregate together. The large aggregate would be the gravel if it is included. So these walls are printed out of a concrete with small aggregate and other additives like accelerators or decelerators (depending on temperature) and other polymers for strength and resistance to cracking. This mix would be similar (but finer) than a line pump mix we would use for pouring walls through a line pump.
I love concrete but I love efficiency even more :) the amount of time, material, equipment and labor required to do this (when I could take 2 carpenters and framed these walls in a day with simple tools :) makes me predict we will never be using this on a wide scale. You can look to the spec market in housing to see what is efficient. This type of construction will be reserved to those who can afford the material and process and time to wait and head aches for MEP. Again, it's cool but . . . Nice video. Your videos are always informative and objective.
Thank you for noting the VOC levels. I would be interested in find out how it outgasses. As someone who developed Chemical Sensitivities, air quality is paramount. I am
following your videos to look at alternatives to conventional stick buildings, which are not safe for the chemically sensitized(via immune disorders) or injured (through large exposures) for roughly 10-15 years.
The ventilation system was also of note because mold growth in conventional housing is also for those with the immunocompromised.
Really impressed and refreshing thank you for sharing Belinda
You're amazing. I felt exactly the same about 3d printed houses. I think the walls are the least of our problems. THere are so many solutions. But the electric, plumbing and venting circuits cannot (yet) be printed or placed in, unless they sorta are prefabbed in a factory and dropped in.
Which of course adds to the "build time".
Anyways, I hope your objectivity never gets corrupted.
PS: Thanks for your video on insulation R values BS. it is coming in handy.
Thank you for this video. Very cool.
I know nothing about architecture, I have no irl interest in anything you talk about your channel however I cannot help but soak all the information you give out because of the way you talk about things and also what you choose to film and edit everything. I love all your content! Thank you for enriching my life!
I love how You show us the facts, and numbers. Keep up the great work, You really make a difference!
Thank you!
You seem easily impressed Belinda. We build 145m2 nZEB homes in 3 months using existing technologies in Sweden costing net €80/ft2 sustainably with a LCA of 200 years, 80% recyclable at grave. With little or no concrete. What is so spectacular with 3D printing?
She did say in another video that the various construction techniques and abilities in Europe are leagues ahead of what's on offer in America. Trouble is, I think you're only the 2nd European I've met in these comments so I'm not sure she'd get as many views looking at the construction techniques on our side of the Atlantic.
I like these positive feeling videos with realistic criticism. Thanks!
Very nice video. Thanks.
I like your diction and the video is very useful!! Thank you for information.
I absolutely love your channel, I could listen to your videos all day long especially while working, I just let it play in the background. I love the clamminess of your voice and your accent. I liked your videos before watching, because I know it will be great. 🙏🏽
What I would like to see is some sort of vertical conveyor system on the outside of the nozzle that follows behind the path and creates "walls" for the crete to form to so that they are much smoother. I see it similarly to a tank tread but with pinions on both sides so that it can snake in any direction....if there are enough pinions, then you could actually add shape other than flat surfaces as well (like making a shallow edge on windows and doors so that the wood can sit flush). I imagine the conveyor only has to be a couple feet if the nozzle is slow enough before it is cured enough to allow no slump at the tail. Along with this, maybe have a top roller to put a groove inset into the crete so that the next layer added is given lateral locking.
Thank you for a very interesting review. I have issues with the fashion of white and black, or graveyard grey that seems to be spreading. The black cladding would, in my mind, have serious thermal downside in any sunny climate. I much prefer a light blue (think Greek village) style, ochre (as is common in Italy) or off-white walls. But that's me.
I'm imagining those 3d printed rubber covered walls being a dust magnet, especially inside where you can't just hose them down.
Thank you for analyzing this. The idea of printed walls is pretty neat. I would rather have the exterior footprint slightly wider to allow for regular sheetrock interior walls for ease of plumbing, electrical, painting, and picture hanging. The exterior design seems like an updated take on the Tudor house, which I like to some extent. They wisely used the concrete to nod to Evangelical decor, which sells well in Texas. I wish that technologically innovative houses came in a wider variety of styles, especially historic styles. More options for closed or partially closed floor plans would be really nice. I'd like a cute gingerbread Victorian, or an actual Tudor style, or Salt Box or something other than just contemporary.
Love your content
I always enjoy your videos and find them very informative. I am interested in hearing your opinion on the controversial proposed Munger Hall dormitory on the University of California at Santa Barbara's campus. I would very much like to see a video on that topic. Thank you, and thank you for your channel.
It takes a team of framers 7 days to frame out a whole single family home. Assuming the trusses are pre-assembled for the roof. So there's no time savings here plus wood is cheaper and you use pressure treated plus metal brackets for anything in contact with the concrete foundation.
I'm totally about 3D printed housing. I can't wait to see where it goes in the future.
Did ICON mention the possibility of 3D printing arches instead of using flat window headers? Would those arches add any strength to the wall.
I absolutely LOVED your video! You explained 3D printed walls so well and I now understand the process much so much more after watching your video. Fabulous job!
Best Regards,
Kelly Berecin
Production Manager for Offsite Builder
This video is greatly informative and I appreciate it deeply especially with all the hype Icon is getting from it’s Lake Flato house. This video is legit
I wish some of these alternative building materials were readily available. Been waiting for such a long time.
Very interesting! House looks good and new houses will probably look better as processes improve and there's less inconsistencies.
Exactly! So many people don't recognize the speed at which technology improves when enough resources are dedicated.
Good review
Hello Belinda, Could you give us the cost of a similar sized stick-built home for comparison. A 1000 sq. ft. home where I live would be much less, but maybe that is my area. I appreciate your honesty and thoroughness. Keep up the good work, and have a happy Thanksgiving.
She already said the selling price was comparable to similar sized homes in the Austin area.
Also remember the "price" of the house figure includes the cost of the land. This is often higher than the "improvement" of anything built on the property. I found this out when I built a 3 bedroom package house back in the 80's.
Thank You
If Belinda made it, it's high quality
I really appreciate your straight-forward reviews and thank you for including the VOC/CO2 levels, as well as heat loss. The one thing I've wondered about, regarding these alternative construction methods, is that they are touted as being a more cost effective, but they seem to cost just as much as regular construction homes. Sure, it can be cost-effective for the builder, but not for the end-consumer. For example, to me, a $50K tiny home seems reasonable, while a $100K tiny home does not. What do you think?
Belinda; "Now, the one thing everyone is most curious about..."
Me (confused) "but you already talked about CO2 levels and thermal efficiency"
This is my pre-watch comment. I hope you and yours are well!
We are! Hope you are too :)
Seems more solar for colder climates with more insulation and thermal mass on the interior would be great. Seems the seems can be filled with silicone if issues with differences with expansion and contractions. ERV's are a must with these... especially if wanting to be passive since seems like these can be made to be more like a passive (I think that's what it's called) designed. Neat there are at least low VOC's with the closed and I think open cell spray foam insulation. Pioneered there in Texas last I knew. Seams that can be sprayed on the exterior with whatever finish you want on the exterior too. Then way more thermal mass and no bridging.
Always like her reviews.
So wait, drilling through the 3d printed walls compromises their strength greatly?!
It's not true concrete, just mortar. That's why it has so many limitations
Big con. Deer heads, big TVs, gun racks and giant metal stars are tough to mount via ceiling gallery wires.
wonder how it stands up to kids.. and pets.. and drunk adults...
I really like it, but keeping it clean would be a full time job!! Dust inside and dirt outside already removes this idea from my mind.
I think many people are getting stuck on the appearance on the interior. They could cover it up with drywall or stucco for a smooth finish, but they chose to leave it as is for aesthetic reasons.
This is a huge progression of 3D Building construction and I'm very excited by the potential, even if it currently bis targeting a select niche market rn
Would be neat if the printer could trowel the concrete smooth as it goes. The pattern it leaves now looks kinda kool, but could collect dust on the upper sides. Those trim boards not matching in the corners could have been done much better. Simple trick with a circle compass would mark them almost perfectly.
Thanks for showing us these technologies, Belinda. 👍
I would tell you how superbly informative your video is, but everyone else is already doing it better.
I'm all in, I wish I could work with a 3D printing architect to design a hybrid dome house. Like you, I find the real benefit to 3D printed walls is the skulpture potential, printing in artistic designs inside a structure is what I envision. I would use the 3D printed walls as intermediate walls inside a dome structure made with alkaline concrete shell and foamcrete lamination for insulation and a medium to run EMT for electrical and communication.
really love learning from you. just wonder how dusting it with the shiny white limestone from Kansas City would look long term as Austin gets so much algae growth. Still great video
Those contoured exterior walls are going to be a real bear to clean once algae starts growing in the shady parts or on the north-facing walls.
"Marfa Chic"???? You cracked me up!
This is a perfect opportunity to print a traditionally round shape, like a yurt with 900 sq. feet of floor. A fully curved surface would be stronger than a flat slab. There are so many opportunities and challenges to meet! A single, thick
That's the thing about 3D printing you are never going to eliminate the layer look. Never. It can be seen from far away. Not pleasing. The human eye can pick up on those things.
Thank you for the great content. I also enjoy the lack of clickbait and dumb thumbnails. I hope it stays that way. Good luck.
I feel that on the interior, it's hard to defend not putting up some stucco or something, except in these demonstration houses.
@BelindaCarr please include metric equivalencies either in the audio or as text; it would make your content more accessible to those of us are not as fluent/familiar/literate with imperial units. Especially with pressure, force, volumetric and mass flow rates.
It would be interesting to see if it would be possible to integrate the electrical outlets into the print.
enjoyed the video tho im unsure of how i feel about property being bought strictly or the use of airbnb
They should create a test that houses should pass, called B. Carr testing 👍🏾
lol!
Fantastic video, thank you :) curious to know what the build costs were… if you have them and allowed to release
Can some kind of sheet rock mud or stucco by applied to the interior walls to hide the layers of the concrete. Also, how is all the electrical, HVAC, & plumbing installed?
house are concrete block here in florida. i struggle to see how the 3d printed mortar walls are better at this point
Neat
I want to see a future where all 3D printed buildings are curvy an unique
How well would this material hold up during an earthquake given there’s no rebar?
What is your take on building on clay substrate? Homes here in austin have a lot of clay which expands and contracts with moisture variation. What do you think will be the implications for these types of homes?
great
i am in Austin now... where are they, love? Lots migrating from california
Also, there is a large hadron collider (like CERN) here in Austin, tx 🧐
Belinda... well of knowledge...
So how does the exterior layer of mortar tie in to the interior layer for structure? Filling the wall void with insulation makes sense but the thickness of that exterior layer is pretty thin for load bearing.. or maybe they poured columns and the wall isn't load bearing?
How is the first floor walls affected by the plumbing drain pipes 3inch and 4 inch?
why don't they have solar panels on the roof? it is Texas and looks pretty sunny there.
Considering that mortar is not actually all that good at sticking to itself, it will be interesting to see what the how the building integrity holds up after a few years of seasonal thermal cycling.
Thank you for showing the details of the house. The dust collecting on the walls would not be fun... and not much freedom to do small adjustment like adding hangers or adding recessed light...etc seems less functional. But I imagine that can be solved by adding dry walls inside.
The horizontal lines and paint really remind me of traditional Spanish and Greek architecture
Do they plan on building in harsher climates like the upper mid-west, Alaska, in the very humid South-East… of even a coastal home?
I think those areas would provide a large range of conditions to practice on.
How about the dust on the walls, inside of horizontal texture lines?
Very interesting
Maybe if this becomes cheaper in the future I may afford a house too at some point
Not sure the prices are valid if these are being bought specifically for AirBNB rental -basically a business/commercial use. Not the same as if being purchased to live in a long time just paying the mortgage.
Seems like a novelty since you really just have a 3d layer (pretty boring rectangles/squares with rounded corners) between a very traditional slab foundation and stick built top.
My house (1995-current) was built during ww2 with a 5" cement ceiling over the entire basement - rest of the house is old school solid brick (4 thick on lower level - 2 or 3 on upper) with fairly normal stick built attic/roof. Changing anything is an amazing pita - example: running a new water source for fridge icemaker was an industrial roto hammer to get from basement to kitchen. HVAC system revamp was a nightmare. Just hanging something on any given wall in the weird concrete/plaster they used takes extreme caution while "gently" using my smaller consumer roto hammer.