The U.S. Is Getting Its First 3-D–Printed House

Architect Adam Kushner is set to build the first 3-D-printed house in the U.S. The estate will feature a carport and a 2,400-square-foot pool area with a jacuzzi in addition to the 1,500-square-foot house—all on his five-acre plot in upstate New York.

Kushner has partnered with James Wolff and Enrico Dini of the Italian firm D-shape. In 2005, Dini used a stonelike composite to build one of the world’s first 3-D–printed architectural structures, Andrea Morgante’s Radiolaria in Pontedera, Italy. Dini also worked with Dutch architect Janjaap Ruijssenaars in 2012 to conceptualize a house shaped like a Möbius strip and has printed artificial coral reefs for ongoing conservation efforts.

D-shape is providing the enormous printer for Kushner’s New York project. The machine prints using a combination of sand and crushed aggregate from the construction site. The mixture is set in a magnesium binding agent, which gives it a rough texture. Originally built for a project partly funded by the Italian military, the printer is still in its custody: Dini and Kushner are awaiting clearance to export it to the U.S.

Kushner’s house will enjoy all the benefits of 3-D printing: perfectly cutout custom skylights, uniquely curved roofs and walls, and intricate detail work on every level. Should the printer arrive soon, Kushner expects the pool area to be complete by the end of this year, and the house by 2017.

Though promising, 3-D printing has yet to prove itself as a true force in the construction industry. The technology has so far been used more often in the prototypical world, such as the 3-D Print Canal House in Amsterdam, which is being printed as an ongoing public exhibition. Last year, however, Chinese firm WinSun demonstrated one of the method’s strengths: speed. The company reported that it had built ten houses in 24 hours using one printer.

For more information visit kushnerstudioom .

* *