If The Weather Holds, You Can See a 3D-Printed Home Get Built in Fort Worth on Wednesday

Space travel for tourists. Communicating through wrist watches. Self-driving cars. A woman named Alexa answering encyclopedia facts. All of these things we thought were sci-fi stuff we’d probably never really experience. We were so wrong. Here’s a new one: a 3D-printed home, and one is coming to Fort Worth Texas.

Fort Worth 3D-Printed Home

Cowtown’s south side will be the site of a Black Buffalo 3D-printed home. The equipment, stretching taller than treetops, sits ready for Wednesday’s and Thursday’s printing at 100 W. Bolt Street, just across from La Gran Plaza de Fort Worth. Said to be the first of its kind in the world, the technology is approved for home use and the necessary load-bearing walls. Although construction from 3D printing has been on the radar for a while, the concept is still considered cutting-edge.

Why Fort Worth is the location for this has a lot to do with Black Buffalo 3D’s partnership with Boxer Property, which just happens to own real estate. The company’s portfolio does include the lot on the city’s south side, just off I-35.

“We are excited to be printing a home in a densely populated area that will provide more people with an opportunity to witness the future of construction,” Mike Miceli, CEO of Black Buffalo 3D, said in a written statement. “This home will showcase the benefits of structural 3D construction including efficiency, low cost of ownership, and the ability to withstand natural and manmade disasters.”

Printing Walls Wednesday

Ground already has been broken at the Bolt Street Location, so it’s ready for the walls. The home’s construction will be on view with the actual printing beginning Wednesday on site.

“We wanted to be the first company in the world to meet the international standard for load-bearing walls,” said Peter Cooperman, Black Buffalo 3D’s chief marketing officer. “We were the first to meet that standard, and in four days our material is stronger than concrete. After a full cure of 28 days, it’s three to four times stronger than concrete.”

The entire Fort Worth house will be printed within seven to eight days at the site, he said. According to the company’s literature, the walls are printed with an “ink” three-and-a-half times stronger than normal concrete. Called “LoMa” — short for low maintenance — the house will also be designed for easy maintenance with electrical and plumbing systems mounted on the walls’ interiors for easy repairs.

Black Buffalo 3D’s NEXCON Printer can create walls of a 40-foot by 40-foot home in less than 30 hours, and the homes, according to Cooperman, can vary in style. From tradition to curves and waves, a 3D-printed home can be designed in many ways.

“You can make it fit into any neighborhood you want,” Cooperman said.

Waiting on Weather to Build

Completion of the Fort Worth 3D-printed home will depend on several variables, including weather, but Cooperman expects the ribbon cutting to be scheduled for October “when the weather’s nicer,” he said.

So, despite our modern technological advancements, we still haven’t imagined how to air condition the great outdoors.