Disneyland Monsento House Of The Future. 1957-1967
Posted on 02/12/2024 3:51:50 PM PST by nickcarraway
“This project can be the beginning of something meaningful.”
A California couple is set to move into a one-of-a-kind home later this year that will be resistant to wildfires.
According to Highways Today, a robotic arm 3D printer created by RIC Technology began construction in January on the state’s first fire-resistant, 3D-printed concrete accessory dwelling unit in the city of Walnut. The general contractor Builtech Construction Group is leading the design in collaboration with the city of Walnut and the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
Philips and Constance, a couple living in Walnut described as “eager to contribute to wildfire protection,” agreed to have Builtech erect a fire-resistant ADU in their backyard that will include two bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms.
“Seeing the state plagued by wildfires, we want to be part of the solution, too,” said Ziyou Xu, founder and CEO of RIC Technology, which is a pioneering 3D printing company. “This project can be the beginning of something meaningful — a wider application of 3D printed homes that are less susceptible to fires.”
In 2023, wildfires in California caused 323,025 acres to be burned and led to four fatalities. The previous year, the federal government spent over $4 billion in firefighting costs. However, suppressing wildfires is only half the battle, as communities continue to suffer from the damage for years.
“Fire-resistant homes reduce wildfire risks by enhancing resilience during a fire and speeding up post-wildfire recovery,” Xu said. “It significantly saves time and money in the recovery process if residents’ homes survive a wildfire.”
Per Highways Today, the ADU being built in Walnut will have exterior walls that are “3D-printed using concrete, a non-combustible material.” The roof “will be constructed with light steel and sure-boards, distinguishing it from other 3D-printed homes that often feature wooden structural roofs.” Builtech also will fortify the areas that are “traditionally vulnerable to fires, such as eave vents and windows,” also per Highways Today.
“The ADU will be built without a single piece of wood or nail — no ‘fuel’ on the main structure,” said Aaron Liu, CEO of Builtech Construction Group and a National Fire Protection Association-certified wildfire mitigation specialist. “So we significantly minimize the likelihood of fire entering the home, reducing its susceptibility to fire.”
In addition to using 3D printing, there are other methods that can create fire-resistant homes. Australian scientists have discovered that mycelium, the root-like structure of fungi, can be used to create fire-resistant cladding for buildings. A Colorado startup company is building modern homes using compressed earth blocks, which are incredibly fire-resistant and also offer benefits such as wind resistance and thermal mass, which help regulate indoor temperatures.
The hope is that the Walnut project will lead to more collaborations with local governments and fire departments to expand the development of more non-combustible, fire-resistant homes in wildfire-prone communities.
Depends. You can 3d print with an incredibly wide range of materials. It's simply a manufacturing technique. Just like any new technology, it's in its infancy. It'll improve with time. The cost/time benefits are undeniable.
So assuming 3d printed housing completely supplants "normal" construction (which I doubt for all sorts of reasons), most of those jobs will still be intact. There are lots of good reasons to hand drywall on the interior of a 3d printed house, and no really good reason not to besides aesthetics. You'll still need carpenters to put in door and window frames, do decking, flooring, etc. This particular house uses a printed roof, but most won't do that. They'll still have some kind of roofing.
“IF you are not part of the solution you are part of the precipitate”.
Virtue signaling.
So when the house wears out, how recyclable is it?
And how much did it cost and how much energy and raw materials were used in making the plastic for it and the 3D printing the whole thing?
And if there’s a fire, will it burn or not and what will it produce in the way of toxic gases?
And does it emit any indoor air pollution in the way of fumes from the plastic?
Inquiring minds want to know......
Door jambs and window frames do not require a crew. 2 guys on a SFR, done in a week.
Floors? 2 guys on a SFR, done in 2-3 days.
I somewhat agree with the drywall - some reason to install for aesthetics / have something to nail into for your pictures. Fairly expensive for that convenience. Haven’t been to one myself, but the vids I’ve watched are both with interior finishing [pre-fab] and plain concrete walls.
Disneyland Monsento House Of The Future. 1957-1967
Love it.....The Flintstones even had an attached garage :-)
Concrete is cheap [and certainly less than nearly all other construction materials]
Concrete doesn’t burn.
Concrete has its own problems, too, including operator error/corner cutting [my biggest concern].
Hyperbolic responses because this is in CA is silly. Lots of construction methods have improved/streamlined over time. One example: You can order your pre-fab’d framing direct from a lumber yard, arrives pre-assembled and you put it together like a puzzle. Many carpenters lost jobs because of it, but it vastly improved construction time and in many cases quality [we reinforced every joint anyway]
How do they run electrical and plumbing? Exposed? I could live with exposed...the wife wouldn’t.
Where was that? With the one home standing?
Don’t know. Never built one.
I’d imagine its laid then buried into the concrete. Makes repairs / running new lines very difficult/expensive/destructive. [try fixing a leaking main in a foundation]. Maybe periodic access points? I’d imagine some work around solution by the engineers
So durable that the wrecking ball meant to tear it down just bounced off. They had to resort to chainsaws and Sawz-alls.
CC
Commies love their freaking concrete.
Then it sold and the new owners painted and relandscaped it about ten years ago…
You can see it right off Interstate 280.
This brings back memories! I remember driving 280 when this house first went up. It was the talk of the Peninsula. :) There was an open house once. Walking inside, it was far less appealing than it was from the outside.
Thanks for posting the pics!
I think that was in Malibu, CA. “Fine Homebuilding” magazine had a feature article about it 10 or 20 years ago and all the fire resistant features and technologies. It was all very basic. Unfortunately, I can’t find the article today.
Sure! I think you can find interior pics from not long ago when it was for sale. Or maybe posted by the new owner.
It’s a cool landmark on the peninsula. Our kids always like spotting it on our trips north.
Heh, Good one!
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