World's 1st 3D-printed community now under construction in Mexico

(Image credit: VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

published 10 March 2020

Soon, 50 families in the Mexican state of Tabasco will have their own homes, customized to fit their needs through 3D-printing technology.

The San Francisco-based nonprofit New Story is dedicated to ending homelessness around the world and making housing affordable. The group has teamed up with Icon, a construction technology company in Austin, to build 50 3D-printed houses in Tabasco in what will be the world's first entirely 3D-printed neighborhood. Each structure will be 500 square feet, with two bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a living room. They will also be able to withstand earthquakes.

Icon founder and CEO Jason Ballard told Kaiser Health News 3D printing cuts in half the time and cost associated with traditional construction, and is better for the environment. New Story's co-founder, Brett Hagler, said he believes that soon, 3D printers will be able to make larger structures that can shelter more people. "There's an opportunity for a two-story," he said. "That's going to happen. Right now, if we can figure out a two-story, we can figure out a 10-story. It's just a matter of time."

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.