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  1. #1
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    3D printed houses

    Just tripped over this concept. link

    Concept home cost $10k to build, goal is $4k. One quote: "we have equipment on Mars, everyone is walking around with a powerful computer in their pocket, and construction techniques haven't changed in 50 years." Imho this is going to take off.

    Something about the wrinkle in your forehead tells me there's a fit about to get thrown
    And I never hear a single word you say when you tell me not to have my fun
    It's the same old shit that I ain't gonna take off anyone.
    and I never had a shortage of people tryin' to warn me about the dangers I pose to myself.

    Patterson Hood of the DBT's

  2. #2
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    imo it's never gonna be close to $4k - not with windows, wiring, plumbing, roofing, interior finishes (walls, flooring etc.) etc. Not trying to throw cold water on it - I could see the basic structure being in that $4K neighborhood, and what else can you build from scratch for $4K (although repurposing shipping containers would start with an even cheaper structure)?

    I do think they could still be a gamechanger at ~$25K complete, which seems feasible. Good luck to them. These were brought up in an another thread as potential housing for the homeless here in this country and considering what we spend on them without even denting the problem that seems like a worthwhile use for the technology too.

  3. #3
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    Get it down to $4K and many will build $16-40K houses. Murica.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by SkiBall View Post
    Get it down to $4K and many will charge $16-40K for houses. Murica.
    fify

  5. #5
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    No HVAC, no kitchen, no reinforcing, no thanks. They built a pretty shed. Sure, it works for 3rd world housing issues, but the thing about wood and tarps is they don't crush you to death during the next natural disaster.

    They didn't account for the 5k just in the slab pour. But a slick video and talking about 3D printing will keep that VC and government money coming in, so keep talking about the synergy of 3d printing disrupting emerging markets to build a shed faster than Rubbermaid can kick out a plastic one.

    Sent from my Pixel XL using TGR Forums mobile app
    I've concluded that DJSapp was never DJSapp, and Not DJSapp is also not DJSapp, so that means he's telling the truth now and he was lying before.

  6. #6
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    When all that recyclable rubbish we send away gets returned to sender, we will need something to do with it.
    Maybe we can send the homeless and downtrodden to their own towns built with these materials. A reservation if you will.

  7. #7
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    My house is built with logs that were 3D printed by nature.

  8. #8
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    ^^ I chuckled at that one.

    Anyone else wonder how $200-400 a Sq ft seems reasonable for stick frame traditional construction?

    Or some of the places I see that are north of $900 p/Sq ft.

    Watching the video the system seems pretty badass and depending on what the mortar is reinforced with I could see these being pretty freaking strong.

    Just the ticket for that 40 acre retreat/old folks community for over 60 ski bums on the beach in a 3rd world country.

    Who's in?

  9. #9
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    Interesting concept but unlikely to work for homeless or 3rd world situations
    - I doubt the people living in the tarp/stick houses can afford $4000 for a home
    - Land costs around US homeless populations mean you have to go multistory to keep overall unit cost reasonable.

  10. #10
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  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by SkiBall View Post
    When all that recyclable rubbish we send away gets returned to sender, we will need something to do with it.
    Maybe we can send the homeless and downtrodden to their own towns built with these materials. A reservation if you will.
    Check out Earthships.
    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthship

    There are some really cool places on the Mesa west of Taos
    Again, this concept requires cheap land so unlikely to work in urban areas

  12. #12
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    i just met someone who has an earthship style home here near me

    it is such an interesting THING (as a machine & object), but I think the current owners (not the guy who built it) are a little flummoxed by how individually custom it is...absolutely every system is unique & it's now 30yrs old and starting to show its age in ways that need attention

  13. #13
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    My Chiro has one and it was not cheap. land costs not withstanding.

    He raves about it though and is building a 2nd one to Air BnB.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by TBS View Post
    Check out Earthships.
    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthship

    There are some really cool places on the Mesa west of Taos
    Again, this concept requires cheap land so unlikely to work in urban areas
    Flashback.. I remember checking some of those places out 20 years ago when my folks lived in Taos. They were awesome. Wifey and I were much more permaculture then versus now, but we lucked out 10 years ago and found a earthberm house with passive solar and we're very happy.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by TBS View Post
    Check out Earthships.
    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthship

    There are some really cool places on the Mesa west of Taos
    Again, this concept requires cheap land so unlikely to work in urban areas
    We were going to check them out on the drive home from a trip out there. Then my pup passed in we weren't quite up to it.
    Christopher Ryan did a podcast with a guy from there IIRC. Would have to re-visit for memory sake, but I remember liking what they said.
    Here is podcast info if anyone is interested:
    https://chrisryanphd.com/tangentiall...lds-earthships

  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by Not bunion View Post
    My Chiro has one and it was not cheap. land costs not withstanding.

    He raves about it though and is building a 2nd one to Air BnB.
    Insight into biggest cost factors? Did he do most of the scavenging and labor, or did he hire a bunch out? Is it off the grid, so needs its own power, water and sewerage?

  17. #17
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    Hired a set of experts and did some sweat equity himself, scrounged a lot of the materials.

    Semi off the grid, has power, water collection from springs, composting toilet and gray water disposal field.

    Seemed to me that the prime driving cost was labor but the place IS very nice.

  18. #18
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    If we go forward with a MIL/VRBO unit, it will be a grain bin.

  19. #19
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    Once they have a 3D printer that can print steel, copper, plastic, glass, concrete, bitumen, fiberglass, and silicon on one pass, let me know.


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  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by SkiBall View Post
    We were going to check them out on the drive home from a trip out there. Then my pup passed in we weren't quite up to it.
    Christopher Ryan did a podcast with a guy from there IIRC. Would have to re-visit for memory sake, but I remember liking what they said.
    Here is podcast info if anyone is interested:
    https://chrisryanphd.com/tangentiall...lds-earthships
    sorry bout your pup.... vibes
    www.freeridesystems.com
    ski & ride jackets made in colorado
    maggot discount code TGR20
    ok we'll come up with a solution by then makers....

  21. #21
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    You could buy one of these for $5K today: https://www.amazon.com/Lillevilla-Es...ustomerReviews

    Yeah it's missing little things like a kitchen and bath and wiring and plumbing but what do you want for nothing, a rubber biscuit?

  22. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by iceman View Post
    You could buy one of these for $5K today: https://www.amazon.com/Lillevilla-Es...ustomerReviews

    Yeah it's missing little things like a kitchen and bath and wiring and plumbing but what do you want for nothing, a rubber biscuit?

    wow, the "products related to this item" list of things is amazing

  23. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by iceman View Post
    You could buy one of these for $5K today: https://www.amazon.com/Lillevilla-Es...ustomerReviews

    Yeah it's missing little things like a kitchen and bath and wiring and plumbing but what do you want for nothing, a rubber biscuit?
    "When I contacted the seller with my issues they said I'm the only one who had ever had this problem "

    What not to say to a customer. I heard this last week, I was told I was the first customer to crash their software. Yeah, no.

  24. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by Not bunion View Post
    ^^ I chuckled at that one.

    Anyone else wonder how $200-400 a Sq ft seems reasonable for stick frame traditional construction?

    Or some of the places I see that are north of $900 p/Sq ft.
    Where are you? 400 per square foot is $800,000 for a standard 2000 sq.ft. house. Probably true in some markets, but on the high side for most of America. 900/sq.ft is 1.8 million for a pretty standard sized house.

    I agree with TBS and some others though. Small unit construction isn't ever really going to be an ideal solution to homelessness as it doesn't work well with economies of scale in land/materials/anything. Even if they get the price down, is it really going to be cheaper than just building with cinder blocks in a lot of places after all the extra costs are factored in?

  25. #25
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    well that's where the shipping containers come in

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