Naturally, it’s in Texas. A community of 100 new homes is in the early stages of construction with a 2023 completion expected. Nothing unusual in that, of course. But these are 3D-printed homes, the largest such community so far.
Lennar Corp., founded in 1954 and a leading homebuilder, and ICON, a construction technologies company pioneering large-scale 3D printing, announced that construction is underway and reservations will begin in 2023. Situated north of Austin in the city of Georgetown’s master-planned community of Wolf Ranch by Hillwood Communities, a Ross Perot Jr. company, the 100-home community combines innovative robotics, software, and advanced materials to create homes that are technologically advanced, environmentally sustainable, and architecturally striking.
And here is where the BIG part comes in: each Lennar home in Wolf Ranch is co-designed by renowned architectural firm Bjarke Ingels Group, known simply as BIG. Prices are anticipated to start from the mid-$400,000s.
Blending contemporary Texas ranch style aesthetics, as would be expected, the community of 3D-printed homes features elevated architectural and energy-efficient designs that highlight the benefits of resiliency and sustainability with the digital possibilities of additive construction. Delivered at speed and at scale using a fleet of ICON’s Vulcan robotic construction systems, software, and advanced materials, each home’s full wall system – including interior and exterior walls – are produced with less waste and with more design freedom.
Jason Ballard, cofounder and CEO of ICON took note of the extensive use of technology in the project and exclaimed, “In the future, I believe robots and drones will build entire neighborhoods, towns, and cities, and we’ll look back at Lennar’s Wolf Ranch community as the place where robotic construction at scale began. We still have a long way to go, but I believe this marks a very exciting and hopeful turn in the way we address housing issues in the world.”
In addition to state-of-the-art homes, Lennar homeowners in Wolf Ranch can enjoy all of the amenities offered in tree-covered hill country – including pools, recreational trails and parks within easy access to downtown Georgetown and Austin, a short drive away.
The community will offer eight floorplans with 24 unique elevations ranging from 1,574-2,112 square feet of living space. The homes will offer three or four bedrooms and two to three baths. All homes will be powered by rooftop solar panels and will feature components from Lennar’s Connected Home package including a Ring Video Doorbell Pro, a Schlage Encode Smart WiFi deadbolt and a Honeywell Home T6 Pro WiFi smart thermostat. Plus, each home will come equipped with the Wolf Ranch security package.
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