this post was submitted on 30 Nov 2023
106 points (94.9% liked)

3DPrinting

15137 readers
7 users here now

3DPrinting is a place where makers of all skill levels and walks of life can learn about and discuss 3D printing and development of 3D printed parts and devices.

The r/functionalprint community is now located at: [email protected] or [email protected]

There are CAD communities available at: [email protected] or [email protected]

Rules

If you need an easy way to host pictures, https://catbox.moe may be an option. Be ethical about what you post and donate if you are able or use this a lot. It is just an individual hosting content, not a company. The image embedding syntax for Lemmy is ![](URL)

Moderation policy: Light, mostly invisible

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 29 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Not necessarily, the tech is still new and has its issues that need to be worked out.

Ultimately though, modular houses are nice, but they're all similar to each other because they're made in a factory and have a size limit.

3D printed houses have the advantage of being able to be any shape or layout (Within reason) that the builders/homeowners want while still having the potential to be significantly cheaper and faster than standard construction.

Basically, it's a good middle ground between standard construction and factory modular homes

[–] [email protected] 23 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

modular houses are nice, but they’re all similar to each other

I'm not so sure. New American and Canadian houses are famously similar to each other. We build big neighborhood blocks of almost identical looking track houses. If I could, instead, order a house from online catalogs, that might actually increase aesthetic diversity.

We used to have more diversity in housing styles, which is why older neighborhoods have lots of different home styles. But a lot of those 100 year old neighborhoods are actually full of Sears catalog homes. Basically, pre-cut, pre-fabricated modular homes!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

*tract, apparently.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 8 months ago (1 children)

having the potential to be significantly cheaper and faster than standard construction

I don't see how this can ever be true. The only material that can come out of the printer is the concrete for the walls. The walls then have to be reinforced (because concrete is only good under compression), insulated, finished, and then have windows, doors, wiring and plumbing installed... all of which is still just manual labor. The walls aren't even the expensive part of homebuilding.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 months ago (1 children)

It depends on what you're building. If you want a normal rectangular house, 3D printing will be incredibly inefficient and pointless compared to traditional framing techniques.

On the other hand, if you want curved walls, traditional framing becomes incredibly complex and expensive, whereas 3D printing takes exactly the same materials and labour regardless.

I think 3D printing an entire house is just a gimmick, but it will still be an incredibly useful tool, even if only used for simple things like making rounded foundation pads or retaining walls that follow the landscape or curved hallways connecting modular buildings.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

How many people actually want curved walls though?

You need curved couches, shelves, cabinets, windows and picture frames then too.

Geodesic domes housing is even faster to build, but it turns out not very many people like living in circular (or spherical) houses.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago

How many people actually want curved walls though?

People who hire fancy architects. Not people who have to work for a living.