Can We Beat the Housing Crisis By 3D-Printing Homes?

"As housing prices across the country continue to skyrocket, an Iowa-based company, Alquist 3D, is looking to combat the crisis by 3D-printing homes," reports NexStar Media: Alquist, one of a few U.S. companies that 3D-prints houses, is looking to build 200 of these homes in Virginia starting this summer. The process is somewhat simple. First, a person designs what they want the frame of the house to look like by using a computer program. Then, a file is transmitted to a machine, which tells it what to do and how to move. On-site workers pour in cement material, then the concrete is pumped through the tubes and dispersed in layers... Zachary Mannheimer, founder and CEO of Alquist 3D, believes 3D-printing is a game changer because it cuts costs up to 15% by scaling back labor, materials, and time. He does understand that there are concerns about displacing traditional construction jobs, and some environmental impacts of this method, but he says he is working to attack those issues.

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