Gebicke points out another perk of autonomous building: The generations of craftsmen with hyper-specialized skills are phasing out of the workforce leaving those buying centuries-old homes in trouble should they need specialized repairs. He feels that D printing is the future of the industry and will be particularly well-received by younger generations who prioritize functionality price and newness. “We’ve gone from a society where everyone wants something custom to one where everyone wants what’s best ” says Gebicke. “Everyone is using the same type of phone driving similar cars. I think housing will follow especially for younger generations.” While modular houses might offer less flexibility than a house built nail by nail Mighty Homes still has a range of customization options that customers can choose from including things like the height of the windows or the texture of the exterior walls.
Those walls are also made out of a patented composite stone material — not concrete — which the Email Marketing List company says is four times as durable as concrete but lighter produces only of the waste generated by traditional methods and is ultimately striving to be carbon negative. Icon another player in the D construction space uses a material it calls Lavacrete a proprietary material resembling mortar that is mixed specifically to withstand extreme weather events something that will become increasingly important as climate change worsens. Having durable weatherproofed homes is helpful not only in extreme weather conditions or tropical climates but also keeps all homes more effectively insulated lowering energy costs for heating and cooling.
While these startups are currently focused on making homes with a will likely play an important role in solving the affordable housing crisis both in the US and abroad. The US housing market is coming up short by an estimated . m homes and even with construction bouncing back post-pandemic it could take years to recover. “Supply of homes is one of the main causes of the affordability problem we’re having today ” says Michael Harper the director of business development at Icon. “We can’t build homes fast enough in today’s market and the speed that we’re able to build homes should have a major impact on that.” Subscribe to The Hustle NewsletterLogo Psychology: How To Pick the Right Shapes Colors and Fonts Subscribe To The Hustle: Your -Minute Business & Tech News Brief Bailey Maybray Bailey Maybray Published: April Logos are often the first thing customers notice about a brand.