Tag Archives: house

House Zero 3D-Printed Home proves to be an architectural innovation

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In this day and age, impossibilities are defied in ways we never imagined before. With the advent of 3D printing technology, almost anything can be done even in architecture.

The idea of 3D-printed homes isn’t absurd as such is already happening. If you can 3D-print sneakers, indeed, you can print anything. We told you how 3D printing is becoming more popular and gaining momentum. Many designers have adopted the technology, and now, we’re hearing more architects are doing the same.

Designers: ICON and Lake|Flato Architects

House Zero Details

The House Zero is another proof that innovation in architecture is necessary. It is a result of advancements in technology because architecture needs to adapt like many things in this world. This project by ICON and Lake|Flato Architects showcases the former’s proprietary concrete wall printing system.

Built in a neighborhood in Austin, Texas, House Zero is a climate-responsive house that offers flexibility to the homeowner. Change is constant in this world, and that’s what this house system can allow throughout the years. Both Lake|Flato and ICON have worked hard on this collaboration to create a new system from printed concrete construction. In addition, new strategies have been set to ensure the 3D-printed home is made to detail.

House Zero Design

The mission was to design a house that is livable and desirable. Another goal was to take advantage of net-zero energy. 3D printing, specifically, additive manufacturing at a large scale, seemed challenging but the designers and architects were able to finish House Zero with a thermally broken and insulated envelope with the aid of a software-controlled construction process.

House Zero Details 3D Printed 2

Like any simple designed and constructed house, the House Zero only uses natural wood and basic elements. The concrete walls are framed and protected the standard way. As a result, the house offers plenty of views of nature and daylight. The house is made using biophilic design principles, which means natural materials and elements are used. Even with the use of robotic printing processes, the house still has those raw elements that make it sustainable while remaining cozy and homey.

ICON House Zero Exterior

House Zero Interior

The House Zero by Lake|Flato uses new technology without forgetting about the natural things. The result is still a shelter that endures and lasts—enough to call it a real home. This house can grow as your family grows through the decades. It doesn’t exactly mean it will expand, but you can adjust according to your needs or style.

ICON House Zero Interior

House Zero Perimeter

Here’s what ICON, Co-Founder and CEO Jason Ballard has to say about the house: “House Zero is ground zero for the emergence of entirely new design languages and architectural vernaculars that will use robotic construction to deliver the things we need most from our housing: comfort, beauty, dignity, sustainability, attainability, and hope. Houses like this are only possible with 3D printing, and this is the new standard of what 3D printing can mean for the world. My hope is that this home will provoke architects, developers, builders, and homeowners to dream alongside ICON about the exciting and hopeful future that robotic construction, and specifically 3D printing, makes possible. The housing of our future must be different from the housing we have known.”

As described, the House Zero is a 2,000+ sqft home. It comes with three bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms plus a 350 sqft accessory unit with one bedroom and one bath. It uses the 3D-printed wall system with Lavacrete by ICON– saving money, time, and even waste. Lavacrete allows better insulation as made possible by thermal mass and slow heat transfer. The process has resulted in an airtight wall that allows reduced lifecycle costs and better energy efficiency.

ICON House Zero Exterior

ICON House Zero Carport

This is the future not only of house construction but also of 3D printing technology because of the scale. This project only proves we can push the limits of robotic construction and 3D printing further. It’s a design language that must be explored by more architects, designers, and companies if they want to keep up with the times.

House Zero Plan

ICON House Zero 3D Printing Process 1

The post House Zero 3D-Printed Home proves to be an architectural innovation first appeared on Yanko Design.

Stunning modern home comes with an all-glass conservatory that intersects through the architecture!

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You’ve never seen a skylight look this beautiful! Meet the Chalet-2, a modern bungalow-style home designed by Ukrainian architect and interior designer, Alex Svyryd. Designed in black, with almost cabin-like proportions, the home boasts of a clean, Scandinavian-inspired design that sort of looks like a rock with a crystal jutting through it. The crystal in question, is the Chalet-2’s gorgeous conservatory, which cuts through the building’s architecture, creating a two-way window that allows outsiders to admire the chalet’s interiors, and the home’s residents to get a stunning view of their surroundings… enjoyed best at sunset with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate between your hands!

The house’s black appearance tends to give it an air of secrecy, but the glass conservatory almost challenges that, providing a beautiful peek into the house’s warm and cozy, wooden interiors. The conservatory even acts as a skylight, allowing light to make its way through right into the house’s living room, illuminating the interiors with a shaft of direct natural light that diffuses all over the house, illuminating it beautifully during the day.

Designer: Alex Svyryd

This mushroom-shaped home is the perfect example of architecture meets nature!

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Nestled in a pine forest in Xin Yu City of the Jiangxi Province of China is a mushroom-shaped wooden house! Resembling a wild mushroom, the 50 square meter home was constructed by ZJJZ Architecture Practice. The spacious wooden architecture is a private haven in the serene forests of China and was designed to maintain a symbolic connection with nature. And indeed the structure really does harmoniously blend with its greenery-rich surroundings!

The wooden house consists of two sections – the main mushroom-shaped area which comprises the bedroom. The bedroom features a panoramic window which provides amazing views of the surrounding landscape. You can sit on chairs and gaze at the lush greenery. The cone-shaped roof overhead the bedroom is rounded on top, creating the impression of a roof that is expanding and endless. The accompanying loft which serves as a space for children is connected to the bedroom via a set of small-scale stairs. The bathroom and the storage space function as the second volume of the home. A horizontal window has been placed next to the bathroom allowing light to stream into space, while also restricting the view from the pedestrian path, maintaining privacy. The lobby at the entrance is a space to welcome guests and is accompanied by a circular skylight at the top. This skylight enables light to enter the space throughout the day, creating different expressions of light and shadows, leading to a beautiful lobby area.

As mentioned earlier, the home was constructed while maintaining a cohesive relationship with nature. It has been raised on a steel structure to minimize and reduce the impact of construction on the location. The architects envision that with time the surrounding green plants will grow healthily and embrace the building, creating an exquisite combination of architecture that meets nature! Although the house has been built from granolithic concrete, the roof is clad in pinewood, giving the structure a very organic and natural feel. The mushroom-esque home is at one with the greenery around it, it seems like an extension of nature, rather than a concrete structure built in the midst of it. Residing in this home will surely be a peaceful, serene, and calming experience!

Designer: ZJJZ Architecture Practice

This house was designed to adapt to the rising sea levels!

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With the rising sea levels coastal communities are first in the line of fire (or should I say water?). Architecture is adapting itself to be more energy efficient and sustainable, but what are we doing about adapting to the changing climate and the disasters they bring? Vietnam-based firm H&P Architects designed and constructed an adaptable (and floating if need be!) house that can be used as a prototype for various communities around the world.

The project is called HOUSE and translates into Human’s Optional USE. It is simple and created with minimal construction materials – a steel frame, wall, roofing options, and interior furnishings so it is just the essentials. The purpose of this design was to help resettle those who were in need of housing after being displaces, either due to disasters or other unfortunate events. What makes HOUSE unique is that it is adaptable as a structure – it can work on land, or on stilts where flooding is common, or simply float all together supported by barrels which make it buoyant. In fact, the frame of the house and the stilts also make it adaptable for mountainous terrain. The structure could be used as a multi-functional space to accommodate programs relating to education, healthcare, and community too, it is not limited to residential only.

Another unique detail is how the steel structure has been designed, it lets the owner add more floors if needed without that traditional construction work and cost. Being community centered, the materials used for the walls, roofs, and doors will be chosen based on the suitability of the region and climate so it can be locally sourced to fit the environment it is being built for. Additionally, H&P Architects will install rooftop solar panels which would produce twice as much electricity as required for common home appliances and the residual electricity be stored or traded to keep HOUSE energy efficient. The roof also has a sprinkler system to clean and cool it during hot summer days. The interiors are a blank canvas so it can be adapted for different needs but the prototype includes netted ceilings for a relaxed setting and to showcase the open plan’s potential.

Designer: H&P Architects

This hole-some house design reduces indoor pollution and breathes using upcycled punctured bricks!

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Getting creative with traditional material is the key to making architectural structures truly stand out. This Wall House designed by CTA Creative Architects shows that creativity by using hole-punctured bricks. It was specifically chosen to facilitate natural ventilation, bring in sunlight, and letting the house itself breathe.

This “wholesome” structure is a multi-generational family home in the city of Bien Hoa, Vietnam and the only thing they wanted was the living spaces to feel bright and airy. “According to recently published scientific research, indoor air quality is worse than outdoor air quality. Therefore, most of our discussions with the house owner tended to the idea of a house that is able to ‘breathe’ 24/7 by itself,” said the team. Most of the structure’s exterior is covered in perforated square bricks that allow fresh air and natural light to flood in. It also promotes upcycling in design – all of the bricks were salvaged from the building sites of properties nearby and were then punctuated to make four small holes in each of them. Material reusability is as important as creativity.

The team also managed to save burnt and blackened bricks and used them artistically to form dark patches of color which adds more texture and dimension to the exterior aesthetic. The bricks are arranged randomly to form an irregular, bumpy surface finish – unconventional like the material itself. A wide flight of tiered steps that lead up to the entrance has been printed with a holey pattern to matches the bricks, it almost looks like a permanent shadow cast on them on a sunny day. To further add to the natural breathing feeling, a small “garden” was planted around the periphery of the main room which makes the air quality better and also acts a much needed soothing contrast to the brick tones.

The house has an unobstructed and large living area which features two massive square windows that have been made in Wall House’s front elevation for maximum natural light. Another window element is the glass roof which illuminates the other corners of the house. All these details not only add to the ‘breathing’ quality of the house but also increase the expansiveness of the place. The rest of the material palette for the home was kept very simple – exposed-aggregate concrete cover the floor and dark wood was used for the kitchen cabinets. A black-metal staircase with a wire-frame balustrade leads to the first level of the home and also serves as a great spot to show off your quarantine outfits – I can’t be the only one who walks down in a different set of PJs for every meal right?

Designer: CTA Creative Architects

House amendment would require warrants for web history searches

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A new House deal has the potential to prevent the nightmare scenario in which Feds might not need a warrant to see what sites you’ve visited, videos you’ve watched and searches you’ve made. Earlier this month, we learned that the Senate was preparing...

A House bill could cap the concentration of nicotine in e-cigs

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As part of a growing effort to reduce teen vaping, US Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Illinois) has proposed legislation that could put a cap on the concentration of nicotine in e-cigarettes, CNN reports. The bill would limit nicotine content to no more...

Tech giants to face House committee hearings over effects on small business

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Internet heavyweights are facing yet more congressional scrutiny over their competitive practices. The House Small Business Committee intends to question Amazon, Facebook and Google over their possible harm to competition for small businesses. Comm...

Congress plans to investigate how social media giants are fighting hate

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House lawmakers plan to unveil legislation to study the ways social media can be weaponized, The Washington Post reports. They want to better understand social media-fueled violence and to determine if tech giants are doing enough to effectively prot...