JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #144 - January/February 2022 - 35

3D Printing and Construction, a winning combination
ICON first permitted 3D
printed home Austin
(TX) march 2018
Photo credit Regan
Morton photography
specific to additive manufacturing optimises
the use and quantity of materials
necessary. On the other, by relying on
local sourcing of raw materials, the company
also reduces the carbon footprint
of its activity, controlling the distances
that materials are transported.
ICON Vulcan construction system 3D printing homes
wind and other natural disasters better
than conventionally-built homes, the
company told Dezeen, the architectural
and design magazine. These properties
are understandably attractive to American
authorities and have earned ICON a
certification of correspondence with US
standards in force nationwide.
Finally, Lavacrete also stands out from
a sustainable perspective. On the one
hand, the Bottom-to-Top technology
Creations, partnerships
and a plethora of projects
The solution developed by ICON has
drawn interest in partnerships very
quickly, starting with the U.S. Marine
Corps. During the first project in 2019,
the Vulcan printer was used to produce
vehicle hide structures that would conceal
the satellites used to observe enemy
missiles launched in crisis areas. The marines
trained were enthusiastic about the
results, calling the units created " instant
bunkers " .
In 2018, ICON had already shown goodMore
information:
www.iconbuild.com
will by getting involved with non-profit
New Story.
This program aims to imagine, design
and implement a new economic model
for building housing. Together, the team
would achieve quite a feat: for families in
need, or people experiencing homelessness,
they built homes measuring up to
75 square metres in 24 hours at a unit
price of $6,500.
ICON isn't stopping there, however,
and continues to diversify its portfolio
by tapping into the all-encompassing
design ability offered by 3D printing. In
2021, it built more homes for the East
17th
Street Residence project designed
by Logan Architecture. Here, ICON's
goal was to offer 2- and 4-bedroom
homes that showcase the performances
of their technical solution, and strengthen
their position on the mid-range
housing market. It was also in 2021 that
ICON and the Lennar group collaborated
with architecture studio BIG to create
100 3D-printed homes for a neighbourhood
in Austin, TX. With construction
on the docket for 2022, this is the most
ambitious project in the field.
But the adventure isn't limited to earthly
residences. The Texan enterprise also
has its eyes set on the stars. Its solution
has most recently caught the attention
of NASA, for the Olympus project, for
which it has been awarded a Small Business
Innovation Research (SBIR) contract
including funding.
Discover how ICON's 3D printing technology
provides safer, more resilient homes
ICON Lennar big 100-hm community in progress (construction concept render)
N°144 January - February 2022 / jec composites magazine
35
Feature Construction
http://www.iconbuild.com
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #144 - January/February 2022

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