A startup invented this $10,000 house that can be built in one day

pulse

March 23, 2017 6:12 PM

Apis Corp, a startup that 3D-prints buildings, just constructed its first house near Moscow. Thanks to a machine, it took only 24 hours.

Apis Cor's first 3D-printed house near Moscow, Russia.

When you do it yourself, building a tiny house of about 400 square feet typically takes a couple of months, depending on the design, and tens of thousands of dollars in materials.

A San Francisco-based housing startup called Apis Cor says it can do the job much faster and for a lower price. It recently built its first home near Moscow in just one day with $.

The secret? A 3D-printing robot.

Working with the Russian home-building company PIK Group

Apis Cor first programmed the 3D printer to construct a rounded house. The machine applied cement in layers to form the shape of the house.

The bot left a small gap between the interior and exterior walls in which the team then placed fiberglass reinforcements and sprayed a polyurethane-based mixture for insulation.

The team then installed the house's windows and finishes, like countertops and cabinets, and painted it bright yellow. The workers and the 3D printer finished everything in about 24 hours.

Here's what the house looks like from above:

Measuring 409 square feet, the home features an open layout. Thanks to a shallow divider, the kitchen is somewhat separated from the living area, which could double as a bedroom with a pull-out couch. There's also a small bathroom in one of the alcoves.

The company says building homes with the bot is more efficient and less expensive than relying on humans. The cost of the home's materials including the foundation, walls, insulation, finishings, and wiring just over $10,000, it says. A square house that's the same size and made with the same materials would cost about $8,870, according to Apis Cor.

"the additive technology

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