I'm here to talk about things in the third dimension.

I started looking into 3D printing when I came across news that a company is building an entire neighbourhood of 3D printed houses in Texas — 100 houses, all printed by a big machine.

3D printing technology is advancing rapidly. It means houses can be built faster, cheaper, and more sustainably, which got me thinking — could 3D printing be the solution to Australia’s housing crisis?

Huge machines are used to print the walls of a home by piping out a concrete mixture to form these structures. Once this is all assembled, a roof is installed separately.

ICON’s project in Texas isn’t the only large-scale example of this housing. There’s been an uptick in 3D printed dwellings globally. In 2016, Dubai announced plans for 25% of all buildings in the country to be 3D printed by 2030.

So, is Australia looking at any major 3D printed projects soon?

This week, the NSW Government announced Australia’s first social and affordable 3D printed housing project. Construction is set to begin next month to build homes for tenants through the NSW Government’s Aboriginal Housing Office. Dubbo was chosen for the pilot project due to demand for social housing in the regional centre.

The project is expected to be completed in a 16-week timeframe. The State Government said if the plan was constructed using “traditional methods”, (think, bricks and mortar) it would take around 40 weeks.

NSW Shadow Minister for Planning Scott Farlow told TDA: “The Coalition welcomes… new innovations and alternative construction methods to help alleviate the housing crisis”.

However, he warned the State Government “will be judged on the delivery of new housing”.

Brad Draper is the Managing Director at Aboriginal Sustainable Homes, an organisation working with the State Government on this project.

He told TDA that “the shell” of a 3D printed house can be built “within 24 to 72 hours, depending on the complexity of the design.” Including the time it takes to install other parts of the house (like the roof), Draper said “we can do roughly 180 houses per year with one printer.”

“If we were to scale that up to 50 printers or 100 printers or more, you're building 18, 000 houses a year,” he said.

There are sustainability pros and cons to 3D printed housing in its current form.

3D printed homes are more energy efficient, and it produces less waste than traditional construction. But, it isn’t a perfect process yet.

Draper said ASH will construct the printed homes for Dubbo out of a “50% fly ash and 50% concrete” mixed material. Fly ash is waste created by coal-fired power stations. Using it in a concrete mixture is an effective way of repurposing this waste to create material for 3D printed homes. Although this material is durable, it comes from a non-sustainable practice.

Senior UNSW lecturer Ali Kashani is an expert in 3D printing and concrete. He told TDA while these concrete mixtures “are very durable,” they emit large amounts of carbon.

Despite this, Draper said there are longer term sustainability benefits of using this material in 3D printing.

“The product we're actually building out of is two and a half times stronger than concrete,” so the structures are built to last and reduce long term maintenance costs. He said these costs are “the biggest problem within social and affordable housing”.

Kashani also noted, “in terms of bushfires [3D printed homes are] going to be more resistant compared to wood based products.”

He said researchers are looking into what materials can be used instead of concrete to reduce carbon emissions without compromising the strength of the home.

The construction industry is currently facing a shortage of skilled labourers. According to the Government’s Skills Priority List, project builders and construction project managers are in short supply across every state.

Draper said if the construction industry doesn’t evolve with new technologies like 3D printing, “ then we're going to be held to ransom by the shortage of trades within Australia at the moment.”

Is this 3D printing technology a threat to the construction industry? Or could it support the industry?

Chief Executive of the Housing Industry Association Simon Croft, told TDA that “Whilst these more innovative systems may offer some greater efficiencies…We don’t see it replacing current jobs but rather working alongside” them.

Croft said the Association is “broadly supportive of new and more innovative construction solutions” and that he expects “to see more growth in this sector going forward.”

He said 3D printing technology would support growth in areas of construction including social and community housing, and emergency accommodation.

So, where could 3D printing be heading next?

Prefabrication has been an emerging component of 3D printing technology. Think of it like an IKEA flatpack.

Prefabrication involves building parts of a home with a 3D printer in a warehouse. Those parts are then transported to the location and pieced together.

Croft from the Housing Industry Association described it as “modular building elements”, which can include roofs and stairs.

Ali Kashani from UNSW also mentioned that architects generally enjoy working on 3D printed homes because of the design possibilities it provides.

3D printed homes can look quite futuristic with its interesting texture and curved walls.

Brad Draper from Aboriginal Sustainable Homes said 3D printed houses are commonly compared to high-end luxury architecture, and could soon become the norm.

It looks like this is only the beginning for 3D printing in construction, and I wouldn’t be surprised if 3D printed office buildings and shopping centres were next.

The world is your 3D oyster!

What kind of traveller are you?

Q1: Do you meticulously pre-plan and track all of your travel expenses? Yes/No

Q2: Do you actively look for the best exchange rates and lowest fees for your transactions? Yes/No

Q3: Is it important to be able to easily split bills with mates while travelling? Yes/No

Results:

Mostly Yes: The Planner

You love to have everything organised and you probably plan your trips using an excel spreadsheet. Up banking’s budgeting tools and low-fee international transactions will help you keep track of your expenses and make sure you stick to your budget while travelling!

Mostly No: The Spontaneous Traveller

You prefer to go with the flow and might be guilty of impulse spending while on holidays. Up banking’s currency calculator and instant spend notifications help keep you on top of your money without stressing you out!

Travel overseas without the extra fees.

Download Up for free and use code TDA20 for $20 on sign up!