3D printing is swiftly becoming the way of the future. From vehicles to food, it seems like almost anything can be created specialist 3D printers. As it is a relatively new technology, we are still in the process of discovering its full potential. 3D printed housing is one area that is currently being explored, and it seems that it is absolutely possible to construct a building made using a 3D printer. Many architects across the world are racing to showcase the first house that has been built completely with 3D printed parts.
Winsun, a Chinese company, were the first to dip their toes into the water of 3D printing architecture.  In March 2014, they announced that they had 3D printed ten concrete houses in a single day. In January of this year, they also unveiled a 5 storey apartment building and a 1,100 square metre villa constructed entirely out of 3D printed materials. In Amsterdam, construction is continuing on a 3D printed house that was begun last year, constructed out of a type of plastic made using plant oil. The 3D print canal house, as it has been called, will likely be finished by 2017, taking the form of a 13 room complex. Meanwhile, at the University of Southern California, professor Behrokh Khoshnevis is trying to develop contour crafting. This will essentially allow a house to be printed in one single process, rather than the components being printed separately.

The potential advantages are enormous. With the right materials, funding and patience, 3D printers could be set up in difficult to reach regions of the world. Housing components and items can then be printed and houses can be constructed on the land. This completely bypasses the need for transporting heavy equipment and parts such as steel beams and timber. Though the printer itself will be significantly larger than ordinary 3D printers, it will still be a lot easier to transport to the designated site than raw building materials. The costs could also be extremely low as well. Winsun’s expenses for producing its 3D printed concrete houses in March 2014 stood at just £3,200. Construction times could also be reduced drastically: the Winsun villa was built by eight people in a single month. It would have taken significantly longer if conventional construction methods were used.

The possibilities of 3D printing are potentially endless. In Italy, the WASProject (World’s Advanced Saving Project) hopes to use a mud-extruding 3D printer to create housing from mud. This would limit the cost of construction drastically. In London, architectural firm Facit are looking towards constructing the very first 3D house in Britain. Winsun look set to continue pioneering in the field too, as the Egyptian government has signed a deal for 20,000 single storey buildings to be built in its deserts. The building material will be taken from the surrounding sand.

3D printing homes could very well come to revolutionise architecture as we know it. Architects will still be required to draw up workable designs, but 3D printing could make the construction process quicker and simpler than ever before for both residential and commercial architecture.