Construction technology company ICON unveiled its newest 3D-printed project, “House Zero”, designed by Texas-based firm Lake|Flato Architects. The project is the first in ICON’s “Exploration Series,” which seeks to highlight the architectural possibilities enabled by additive construction and develop new design languages with the purpose of “shifting the paradigm of homebuilding”. The material honesty of the house combines the expression of robotic construction processes with the natural wood textures creating a timeless design.
The project is a three-bedroom,2.5-bath home with an additional one-bedroom/one-bath dwelling unit in which additive manufacturing enables energy efficiency and enhances biophilic principles. Printed using ICON’s Vulcan construction system, the house incorporates a type of 3D-printed wall comprising a cementitious-based material that slows heat transfer, replacing traditional building systems consisting of multiple layers and steps. The curved walls reinforced with steel are designed for structural efficiency, while the rounded corners help create a more fluid movement within 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 […] The housing of our future must be different from the housing we have known. - Jason Ballard, co-founder and CEO of ICON
Lake|Flato Architects and ICON’s software developers, robotic engineers and material scientists collaborated closely to develop new architectural strategies for additive construction. At the same time, the project was designed around principles of flexibility and resilience, with the layout being able to accommodate various living scenarios. The project puts innovative building technologies in the service of a contextual architectural approach.
Designed for net-zero energy, the house showcases and pushes the current limits of additive manufacturing at the scale of a building. In keeping with Lake|Flato’s longstanding explorations of buildings and craft, this is a house distilled down to essentials. House Zero uses new technology to display enduring things: the honest effort and the raw materials needed to provide lasting shelter and a deep-rooted sense of place and home - Lewis McNeel, an Associate Partner at Lake|Flato.
ICON will open the doors to “House Zero” for tours March 13-14 as part of the 2022 SXSW programme.
