3d Printed House Designs, Ideas In 2024

3D printed post office in India  

In another first, construction of India’s first 3D -printed post office is complete at the Cambridge Layout in the Halasuru area. The post office is a three-storied 1000 sqft 3D-printed building. Larsen & Toubro, the only company that is undertaking 3D enabled construction in India  constructed this project in collaboration with IIT Madras. Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted about the completion of the project.

Every Indian would be proud to see India’s first 3D printed Post Office at Cambridge Layout, Bengaluru. A testament to our nation’s innovation and progress, it also embodies the spirit of a self-reliant India. Compliments to those who have worked hard in ensuring the Post… pic.twitter.com/Y4TrW4nEhZ

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 18, 2023

 

What is a 3D printed house? 

Houses that are designed and built using construction technologies that use the 3D printing method are known as 3D printed homes. 3D printed homes are faster to build and are superior to the traditionally constructed structures in many ways.

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India’s first 3D printed house

Created by Tvasta Manufacturing Solutions, a start-up founded by the alumni of IIT-Madras, this 3D-printed house overcomes the pitfalls of conventional construction. The house was  inaugurated by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, via videoconferencing. “With construction of conventional housing being very complex… and with your concept of building a house in five days, I don’t think it will be a massive challenge for building 100 million houses by 2022,” she said. Here is everything you need to know about this one-of-its-kind, India’s first digitally printed home.

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First 3D printed house in India: Design and construction process

The process of building a 3D-printed Tvasta house is not just different but a lot quicker than conventional construction. It is built with focus on reduced build-time, zero-waste construction and optimised production. To start with, the structure was printed using a special concrete mix through which large-scale 3D structures were made. The concrete mix is a base of ordinary cement which has a lower water-cement ratio. While concrete is the primary material for typical construction projects as well, the energy consumed to mix and transport it is way more than in 3D printing.

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In one of its company blogs, Tvasta Manufacturing Solutions has mentioned that they have developed their own material mix, which is an extrudable concrete consisting of cement, sand, geopolymers and fibres. The company prepared the final mix by mixing the raw materials in a large hopper. “While 3D printing, the structure was specifically designed hollow, to allow provisions for wiring and plumbing without damaging the wall,” Tvasta said.

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Tvasta has also developed an indigenous concrete 3D printer. Tvasta, through the 3D house project, aims to evaluate the ease with which houses can be manufactured through concrete printing technology, and understand the cost on a large scale to address the problems of affordable housing in a country like India.

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Tvasta’s house construction process focuses on the use of sustainable materials. Such 3D-printed houses are not just economical but also environment-friendly, as the use of local materials eliminates the need to transport concrete over long distances. “This technology can enable deep personalisation of construction for the ultimate target segment – who is the individual. 3D printing can ensure that affordable, good quality housing is available to all Indians,” said Adithya VS, co-founder, Tvasta Manufacturing Solutions.

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India’s first 3D printed house in Chennai: Features

Tvasta’s first structure is a single-storey house, a 600-sq ft unit, created in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity’s Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter at the IIT-Madras campus. The house was built in just five days. Tvasta’s official blog states, “A standard 3D printer can produce a 2,000-sq ft home in less than a week, which is 1/8th of the total time spent today in erecting a functioning house. When it comes to waste materials, this technology creates only 1/3rd of the waste generated using conventional building methods.”

 

 

Source: Tvasta.Construction

Also read all about the world’s smallest home (1 sq metre)

 

Tvasta’s 3D printed house: Price in India

Tvasta’s 3d house is well planned and designed as a low-cost solution for housing needs. The company, Tvasta Manufacturing Solutions, has developed the first 3D printed house in India in a span of just 21 days. As per a report by Better India, the company has developed a Made in India tech that leverages 3D printing to make building homes faster, sustainable, and more economical.

As per Tvasta, the cost of constructing a 3D printed house is approximately Rs 5 lakhs to Rs 5.5 lakhs, roughly 20% of the cost of a standard 2BHK apartment. Moreover, according to Tvasta, the 3D printed house construction takes lesser time and reduces labour costs and material wastage.

Recognising this technology as vital for a country like India, Industrialist Anand Mahindra has offered to fund the start-up. 

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Advantages of concrete 3D printing

Some of the advantages of concrete 3D printing include:

• Reduction of carbon footprints through the use of eco-friendly raw materials.
• Creation of sustainable and green buildings by utilising industrial waste and recycled materials.
• Cost savings of approximately 30% compared to traditional construction methods.
• Elimination of lead time for manufacturing, resulting in faster construction.
• Construction of high-quality buildings with a lifespan exceeding 50 years.

 

Disadvantages of concrete 3D printing

This innovative construction technique also has a few disadvantages, including:

• High power consumption, resulting in significant environmental impacts compared to conventional methods.
• Expensive cost of 3D printers.
• Limited availability of materials used in 3D printing.
• Slow process for mass customization.
• Use of harmful chemicals like styrene and caprolactam, leading to emission of ultrafine materials that can potentially enter the bloodstream.
• Generation of excessive plastic by-products.
• Lack of user-friendliness.

 

Can 3D printed homes fix the housing crisis?

According to the World Economic Forum, by 2030, three billion people will need improved housing. That means building 96,000 new homes every day. 3D printing technology can create high-quality homes in a fraction of the time and cost of traditional construction. Tvasta’s 3D home was built in just five days. Hence, 3D construction technology can produce houses cheaper and faster than traditional building techniques. The method has already provided homes for people around the world. If adopted at a large scale, this approach could put roofs over millions of people’s heads.

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FAQs

How much do 3D printed houses cost?

A 3D printed house costs 20% of the cost of regular concrete homes.

How long will a 3D printed house last?

The average age of any 3D printed house is 50-60 years.

(Images Source: Tvasta Twitter account)