Japan builds its first 3D-printed house in less than 24 hours!

A Japanese business has built the country’s first 3D-printed house in less than 24 hours. Serendix collaborated with its partners to 3D-print a 20-metric-tonne reinforced concrete structure for the habitat at the Hyakunen Jutaku plant in Shizuoka. From start to finish, the compact, egg-shaped housing known as the Sphere took 23 hours and 12 minutes to construct and only cost three million yen ($25,000).

Serendix intends to minimize building time even further in the future with greater automation and simplification. Masayuki Sono, a Japanese architect, built the house, which won NASA’s 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge in 2015. The futuristic pod is smaller than 10m2 in size, rendering it free from Japan’s construction rules.

The rib-reinforced double structure meets European thermal insulation criteria, and experts ensured that it also meets Japanese seismic performance norms. Its quick construction also saves CO2, construction waste, and energy use. The idea is that following large-scale natural catastrophes, Spheres might be built to give aid in impacted areas in just a few days. The firm’s many partners will now be responsible for sales.