Home Sweet Home? The first residents of a 3D-printed house have just moved in

Would you want to live in a house that was constructed not with traditional bricks and mortar, but entirely by a 3D printer? 

Two Dutch retirees have moved into a new bungalow, according to The Guardian. Now that’s not usually the stuff of news stories, or else the world’s paparazzi would all be encamped in Eastbourne, but what makes their case different from all the others is that they will be the very first two people ever to inhabit a house that is entirely constructed by a 3D printer.

The unusual shape of the house was apparently inspired by a boulder, which is made of a special form of cement that is printed layer by layer by a giant robotic arm, according to the exact designs of an architect. The house consists of 24 such concrete elements, and the printing process took just 120 hours in total.

The rent for the 94 sq metre bungalow costs €800 (£695) per month, which is said to be half the going rate — but Bas Huysmans, the chief executive of construction firm Weber Benelux,  has higher hopes for the value of future properties: “Did we earn money with this first house? No. Do we expect to lose money on house number two, three, four and five? No.”

The advantages of 3D-printing houses include a lower environmental impact and lower labour costs, as well as it being a technique that can adapt to make many different, unique shapes. 

While it may take some time to catch on in the wider world, the couple themselves seem very happy with their new home, with Elize Lutz describing it as “beautiful” while his wife Harrie Dekkers noted that “it has the feel of a bunker — it feels safe”.

After hearing their opinion, are you travelling to the Eindhoven suburb of Bosrijk this very minute to find your own dream house as the development expands? Or do you think you’ll stick with bricks? Let us know your thoughts in the poll below.