They have literally managed to print a human organ. That’s right, a working human organ that can be actually transplanted into a person as a replacement part. With that in mind, I don’t think it is of much surprise that companies are now working on printing housing as well. In fact, it is kind of surprising that it has been developed farther already. The implications of this technology for the construction industry is just mind boggling and sooner then later a lot of professional contractors may have to learn some new skills in order to support themselves.

At this point, it seems more of a programming problem then actual mechanics. Engineers understand and can easily utilize the basic concepts and functions needed to 3d print complex structures. The materials that get used are still a work in progress but as far as housing goes there have been some major breakthroughs in cement mixtures. It is a little hard to fully imagine but in the near future we will simply have technicians programming these machines that will work day and night on these construction projects until they are finished. The time it takes to build, the cost of “labor” and materials, designing and even site accommodations will all be drastically reduced. This will allow the average consumer to purchase customized houses and will also open up homeownership to a whole lower income class. 

Affordable housing that is quickly and well built is something desperately needed across the world. Those that can’t afford much in life typically do not get the best of educations either and thus are susceptible to getting cheated out of the little money they do have. Picking a plan for a printed home that other people have already reviewed will be such a pleasure that we will all wonder how in the world we used to deal with all the old crap involved in the process. With the integration of smart home technology, the possibilities will literally be endless.