Just outside Austin in Georgetown, Texas, a new planned community spreads as far as you can see, which is quite far away in this part of the country. But one small compartment instantly focuses. It has just been completed and is now the world’s largest 3D printing community.
Two years ago Renalpartnering with 3D technology company Icon to print 100 homes in wolf ranch developments, the country’s second largest home builder. The companies say about 75% of them are already on sale.
All walls have round edges. This is how the printer navigates with concrete. The layering process makes it feel like a hard, wide-wall corduroy. The roof is the only part of the structure that is not 3D printed, and is made of metal in this community. Each house is solar-powered.
Lennar and Icon 3D Print Home.
Diana Orrick | CNBC
“Here we have durable products that can see fire resistance against fire-decorated areas when we look at hurricane wind resistance. The ability to adapt modern products to what a home needs and build a healthier housing market is amazing.”
Icon launched the project in 2022 with two 40-foot robotic printers. By the second year, the company used 11 machines, cut printing times in half and narrowed two homes a week. Each printer works with more than 12 construction workers. The system worked 24 hours a day.
“All learning about this technology needs to happen on a large scale,” said Jason Ballard, CEO of Icon. “The truth is not in the lab, it’s in the field.”
Ballard said his team must resolve massive logistics with Renard’s team.
“It was a real growth moment for us to come up with how to integrate with Lennar’s business, perhaps the world’s best scale builder,” Ballard said.
Lennar and Icon 3D Print Home.
Diana Orrick | CNBC
The home has all the facilities of the traditional Renner community. It comes in two- and three-bedroom models, starting at just under $400,000.
Hollyfee King and her husband both retired and moved into a 3D printed home about a year ago. She said the biggest part of living in a printed home is her electricity bill. It was only $26 last month. Concrete retains better temperature, heat and cold than previous standard colonies, Feeking said. She also likes the durability of the house.
“I feel safer in this house than any other house I’ve ever lived in because it’s so well built, it won’t burn out,” Feeking said.
Turning the corner, Pierre Meggie and his girlfriend were drawn into the look and feel of the house.
“We wanted the tall doors, the tall ceilings, the cement floors, somehow, and everything in this house. It’s really just a combination of energy efficiency, practicality, price and aesthetics,” says Megie.
Lennar and Icon 3D Print Home.
Diana Orrick | CNBC
The community was Renner’s experiment. According to Miller and Ballard, the cost of building it was slightly higher than expected as they worked through the Kinks.
Miller said Lenard is cutting even less costs to construction given what he learned in Georgetown, with around 200 homes. The next community has a big home, and Ballard hopes they will be faster and cheaper.
“We’ve seen costs go down by half, we’ve seen cycle times go down by half, a significant improvement in the evolution of the housing market that changes over time and has the ability to increase our ability to provide housing that is more adaptable and reach a wider market,” Miller said.
Regarding the increased risk of tariffs between the US and its trading partners, Ballard said all the specifics used by his company are being sourced within the state.
