THE WASHINGTON POST.
SATURDAy, MARCH 7, 2020EZ
8BY SHARON JAYSON
Kaiser Health Newsaustin — T im S hea i s counting t he days u ntil he can move into a n ew 3 -D-printed
house. Shea, 69, will be the first to live in one of six such rentals created by what
some in the housing industry call a futuristic approach that could revolutionize
home c onstruction.
Shea is among a growing number of seniors in America who have struggled to
keep affordable housing. He has, at times, been homeless. He has arthritis and
manages to get around with the aid of a walker. He said he looks forward to giving
up the steep ramp he’s had to negotiate when entering or exiting the RV he’s called
home.
“I’m over the top about it,” said Shea, a native of Stratford, Conn., who made his
way to Austin in 1993. “They had an interview process where a bunch of people
applied. Then I found o ut i t was a 3-D-printed home, a nd I was gung-ho.”
The promise of 3-D printing has others excited, too.
In a Northeast Austin neighborhood, these homes are taking their distinctive
shape on the grounds of the Community First Village, where about 180 formerly
homeless people have found shelter and camaraderie in the most expensive city in
the state. The 51-acre development (which will eventually include more than 500
homes) provides affordable p ermanent housing, including the 3-D variety.
In this city of disrupters, Austin-based construction technology company Icon
has formed a variety of partnerships to explore how 3-D-printed homes could not
only provide housing for people on the margins but also demonstrate how toREGAN MORTON/ICON
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: The 11-foot-tall printer uses a p liable concrete
material called Lavacrete. A view of the houses at Community First Village in
Austin fabricated by Icon, a construction technology firm. T im Shea, formerly
homeless, will be moving into a 3-D-printed house this spring.COURTESY OF ICON