The living alternatives just seem to be multiplying lately, as a new technological development wave has hit the building industry. 3D printers that can print out a house in just a matter of hours are no longer a thing of the future.

3D printed constructions on a larger scale

Following this new trend, the first 3D printed apartment building was built this year, in China. It is a five-story building made out of a special material that has not been used before. Next to the apartment building, a 1,100 square meter villa was also built, out of the same material.

First news about 3D printing in China came in March, last year, as company WinSun announced to have printed 10 houses in 24 hours. The printer used for this task managed to create the walls out of a mixture of ground construction and industrial waste, like glass and tailings. Walls were built around a base of quick-drying cement mixed with a special hardening agent. A clever solution that is supposed to bring construction waste to a minimum.

On the third week of January, as the whole world is slowly coming back to the old routine, after the holiday break, WinSun showed its previously demonstrated efficacy of its technology by showcasing two brand new 3D printed construction. A five-storey apartment building and a 1,100 square metre (11,840 square foot) villa, both complete, with all decorative elements inside and out. Both constructions are still on display at Suzhou Industrial Park.

The 3D printer used to perform this task was developed by Ma Yihe, who has been inventing 3D printers for over a decade. The piece of resistance is 6.6 metres high, 10 metres wide and 40 metres long. This is the main printer that fabricates the parts for WinSun’s constructions. The structures printed in this manner are then assembled straight on-site. In order to comply with official building standards, the pieces are assembled and completed with steel reinforcements and insulation.

Looks like the architectural development and the technology development of the last years is surely starting to make a point as architectural firms begin to compete in creating the most practical and easy to build 3D-printed dwellings. Companies from China are definitely taking into consideration the technological advantage that they have. That is why they have started setting the rules already and getting the job done.