With Vancouver’s sky-high prices making home ownership an unattainable dream for many, one scientist is proposing an affordable alternative by constructing houses using 3D printers.
Paul Tinari, the owner of CAPRA Megalodon 3D Concrete, says customers would be able to customize their future homes at a fraction of the cost.
“[Using] a touchscreen, you would design your own house any way you want it,” he told CTV Vancouver on Friday.
The Metro Vancouver-based scientist said his 3D printers pour concrete in layers to build the home’s foundation before the siding, electricity, and plumbing are added.
“You wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between a 3D-printed house and a traditionally built house,” he said.
What’s more, Tinari said he can keep costs low for the buyer.
For example, he estimates a four-bedroom home would only cost $20,000 with prices increasing with size.
Additionally, the time it takes to build a home could be considerably decreased using 3D-printing technology, according to Tinari.
The foundation for a 27,000-square-foot bungalow, for example, could be made in as little as 24 hours, he said.
Although Tinari said his homes would be constructed using cement, he said any liquid substance that hardens when cooled could theoretically be used.
“We could build you a chocolate house. We could build you a gingerbread house,” he said with a laugh.
For now, Tinari’s 3D-printing technology for homes is still waiting for approval by regulators.
“We have engineering evidence to show that the walls we print are stronger than poured concrete walls,” he said.
The scientist said he’s also been in talks with the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) about using 3D printers to rebuild homes in California that were destroyed by wildfires last year.
Tinari said he’s already received inquiries from thousands of interested clients from all over the world and hopes to have his company fully operational in June. In fact, he’s even making plans to build furniture once the homes have been built.
