Russian 3D printing company and Skolkovo resident AMT, the only supplier of 3D printers for Russia’s construction sector, recently saw one of its clients 3D print a showcase village on 1.5 hectares of land outside of Yaroslavl using the company’s S-300 device. Each house is different, whether in terms of size, design, or functionality and took an average of 30 hours to build using cement without affecting the quality. AMT S-300 3D printers are CE certified, and the company has its EU office in Munich.
In today’s society, the idea of low-cost housing takes several forms, whether it is the premade Norwegian cabin or a low-cost building using conventional construction materials; yet 3D printing seems to be the next big thing. The idea of “printing” a house may seem odd, but it is a reality, although not yet a mainstream one.
The housing market has become increasingly competitive in many parts of the world, particularly in large cities. As more people flock to urban areas for work, the pressure on housing has increased to the point that the construction sector cannot keep up with demand. Chinese city skylines dotted with cranes have become an all too familiar image in the media as new high-rises are thrown up to accommodate the influx of new urbanites. And that is not to mention rent prices in European cities, particularly London, Berlin, and Dublin, the latter of which was in the top-10 most expensive places to rent, according to a 2019 report by Deutsche Bank.
Indeed, the USSR underwent a housing crisis after laborers moved to cities during industrialization in the 1930s as well as the post-war period. Under Nikita Khrushchev, the leadership came up with a temporary solution in the form of five-story prefabricated residential buildings, known as the fabled Khrushchevka. The construction program lifted the pressure somewhat; while the quality may not have been top-notch, it was a quick fix, and builders could quickly assemble a Khrushchevka with premade pieces, almost like Lego. The buildings themselves were initially made to last for about thirty years, although many still stand today.
Japan is another example of where low-cost, temporary housing has flourished. Like Russia, the post-war economy in Japan faced a housing shortage that drove the need for a fast solution to a complex problem; thus came into being the policy of “raze, rebuild, repeat,” meaning to demolish an old home and put up a new one. According to a 2017 Guardian article, Japan is one of the few countries in the world where property becomes valueless over time because housing is not built to last; it’s built to stand for 30 years before it is replaced.
But what solutions are there to an increasingly acute housing crisis in big European and US cities where housing is built to last?
The United States and Europe are home to companies providing 3D printing equipment to the construction industry. For example, SQ4D, an American firm, said in an interview with CNBC that it aims to build houses with its technology in half the time for half the price of conventional construction methods; the firm recently printed a model home in two days using three workers. Other properties in the surrounding area were double the price of the 3D-printed home. A critical feature of current 3D printing technology is that engineers can enter any image into the program; the printer can then put the image in relief onto the house exterior, creating a wood or brick effect.
China, the world’s industrial powerhouse with millions migrating to cities for work, has also begun using 3D printing as a means to help alleviate the pressures on the construction sector. For example, a Chinese construction firm used 3D printing technology to build what was described by the UK’s Channel 4 as an “exuberantly detailed 1,100 square meter French chateau.” The luxury home took one week to construct with one engineer at the helm. The materials used were recycled, taken from demolition sites.
In Russia, AMT company supplies 3D printers to construction firms. In terms of technology, they do not differ significantly from European or American analogs. However, unlike its US counterpart, AMT supplies the tools to construction firms rather than building the homes itself. One of its clients, a prominent Russian construction company, built a village on 1.5 hectares of land outside Yaroslavl, a city located three hundred kilometers northeast of Moscow.
According to the AMT CEO, Alexander Maslov, a 100 square meter cottage can be built in as little as 30 hours, with the average cost per square meter standing at 20 thousand rubles (€230), and a 46 square meter home without décor coming to about €10,000. AMT’s advantage over its competitors is that its 3D printers are cheaper, costing approximately €80,000 for a single device with a 60,000-hour lifespan. Like the US 3D printed model home, €10,000 equates to half the price of brick or concrete houses of the same size located within the village’s vicinity, according to Cian.ru.
Mr. Maslov was blunt about his company’s goals, and while none of the properties in the showcase village are for sale, they demonstrate the potential in 3D printed housing:
“From the technical perspective, our 3D printer differs little from regular ones that use molten plastic,” he said. “They are the same as CNC machines, except they are larger construction printers. However, they allow the architect to realize pretty much any fantasy; the printer doesn’t care, whether it is a simple, rectangular building or a house with formal facades, columns, and turrets. Furthermore, by automating the entire process, we cut down the build-time by 150% compared to conventional methods.”
According to the AMT website, the S-300 3D printer can be used to build multistorey buildings of two floors or higher. Mr. Maslov went on to add that given the shortage in construction labor markets, the 3D printing method helps the construction industry meet demand while also creating new jobs because it takes a specific skill set to run AMT’s devices.
Although the European Union does not yet have regulations to allow 3D printing for housing construction, discussions on such legislation are already underway. With its EU office in Munich, AMT is ready for expansion as the demand for 3D printers increases.
Given that urbanization is forecast to continue and intensify over the coming decades, urban infrastructure will come under more pressure, especially housing. A UN report stated that by 2050 more than two-thirds of the world’s population will be in urban areas. Where will all those people live, and how will construction industries build housing fast enough when it cannot even meet demand right now? Not only could 3D printing alleviate pressure off the construction market, but it could also mean access to a new clientele – low-income earners who, until now, could not afford to get on the property ladder.
