The Casitas at The Halles by Hive 3D and Eco Material Technologies are a new project to create sustainable, 3D-printed homes for vacation rentals near Austin, Texas. These unique low-profile homes use a technology that creates 92% less emissions than traditional concrete. Round Top, Texas, 80 miles east of Austin, will now be home to the world’s first near zero-carbon, 3D-printed neighborhood.
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Eco Material Technologies, a producer of sustainable cement alternatives, and Hive 3D, an automated construction company, worked together to build five vacation rentals, all of which have been 3D printed with an Eco Material cement mixture called PozzoCEM Vite. It’s faster, cheaper to build and the walls are made of this eco-cement made of fly ash and other sustainable materials.
Related: Recyclable 3D-printed home is unveiled to the public
“By utilizing these mixtures, Eco Material’s green cement products can be manufactured at room temperature, instead of with high heat like traditional portland cement, drastically reducing emissions in the process,” explained Grant Quasha, CEO, Eco Material Technologies.
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Eco Materials product is not just more sustainable than traditional cement, it’s also stronger, lasts longer and sets in a few minutes, which allows for rapid construction of sustainable homes in a variety of climates.
Additionally, Hive 3D worked with CyBe Construction to create a small mobile construction printer and cement mixing system. The mortar is mixed on site with local aggregates at a lower cost than normal 3D printing mortars. This makes building 30% to 40% less expensive than traditional construction.
So, what is it like to build a home entirely out of concrete other than the roof? Hive 3D said it took just a few days to print each Casitas home, then about two months to get the homes ready for residents after installing electrical systems, plumbing, windows and other extras. But Hive 3D can print outdoor furniture, counter bases and all kinds of other features using the eco-cement, which also simplifies the rest of the building process. Even the insulation is made of proprietary cement foam.
The Casitas rental homes are 400 to 900 square feet and include a studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom models, designed for short-term rentals for a local festival season. Despite the current housing crisis, this still strikes us as a good way to get more people through these homes to experience 3D-printed sustainable architecture in a way they otherwise couldn’t. If you are thinking about a 3D-printed home, check them out for a short-term rental through Starred Sky Development, Hive 3D development and marketing partner. The building partners will continue to work together to build dozens of 3D-printed sustainable homes in the next few years.
Images via Eco Material Technologies and Hive 3D
