The first home in what is set to be the world’s largest 3D-printed neighbourhood has been completed. The community, called Wolf Ranch, is part of a wider development in Georgetown, <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/gulf-news/2023/05/05/uae-and-texas-explore-clean-tech-ecosystem-investment-opportunities/" target="_blank">Texas</a>, near the state’s capital city of Austin. Several of the homes have already been sold and first residents are expected to move in September. The model house features <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/2023/06/21/inside-the-abu-dhabi-lab-where-3d-printers-are-churning-out-rocket-parts/" target="_blank">3D-printed</a> walls constructed with a concrete-like mix called Lavacrete. The wall systems are energy-efficient while being mould, water, and fire-resistant, and produce minimum waste during construction. After the walls are printed, the doors, windows and roofs – all of which are equipped with solar panels – are installed. The three-bedroom home has one of eight different floor plans that will be rolled out during development. A total of 24 different designs are planned to give the neighbourhood a diversity of forms. The new community will also include amenities such as pools, recreational trails and parks. The 3D-printed homes range in size from 139 square meters to 195 square meters, with the option of three to four bedrooms and two to three bathrooms. They are currently being sold between $475,000 and $599,000. The project is a collaboration between Texas construction firm Icon, homebuilding company Lennar and Danish architecture practice Bjarke Ingels Group. “In the future, I believe robots and drones will build entire neighbourhoods, towns and cities, and we'll look back at Lennar's Wolf Ranch community as the place where robotic construction at scale began," Icon co-founder Jason Ballard told <i>Dezeen </i>magazine in November last year. Icon first announced the project in 2021, calling it a “watershed moment in history of community-scale development”.
