3D printer can build house in 24 hours

[cbc58]

A revolutionary 3D concrete printer can build a 2,500-square-foot home layer by layer in a single day.

http://innovation.uk.msn.com/design/the-3d-printer-that-can-build-a-house-in-24-hours

Wow.

[Building]

Super cool, but its a long walk from the drafting board to the real world.
Even further yet is the walk between 'proof of concept prototype' and 'economically viable'.
The top of the mountain is competing market forces that actually drive prices meaningfully downward.

Interesting to see what the future has in store, but I wouldn't be putting off any plans waiting for this.

[Adam Roby]

These 3D printers are making leaps and bounds in many markets.  Prototyping has become very simply compared to the past.  I can this taking on a role in the housing world at some point.

Some 3d printed stuff:

[Building]

It's easy to underestimate the massive inertia of the status quo of tooling, training, familiarity and infrastructure.
We've been 'theoretically technologically capable' of having self-piloting electric automobiles made out of synthetic materials costing less than $5000 for a long time, but the above mentioned factors have prevented it from happening so we still manually drive tons of shaped iron and steel to gas stations to burn oil.

What is 'theoretically possible' artistically speaking and what is likely to happen are two different things, although on this one, I'd definitely leave room for the possibility of it being a game changer. Just wouldn't hold my breath waiting for it.

[UK4X4]

Being that the technology is here now, the only critical part I see is getting the recipe right for the concrete, insulation mix, the rest exists today in a smaller scale.

Scaling up the gantry size and control systems would be easy peasy.

Getting water and electricity into the walls I could see that being interesting, but entirely possible with pre designed ducts for the electric, and probably for pushing pex through too..

I could see this being a working full size inside 5 years, if some one invests in it.

Then I'd go buy one and start 3d printing !

[Adam Roby]

I agree... don't forget, the electric car has existed for many years, if it weren't for big oil and all of the money that brings in then the technology would have already been here today, without question.  The 3d printer already exists, and is being used in all kinds of ways never before even thought of.  While this may or may not be fruitful, I don't see it being a question of ability to do, more of the convenience.  Maybe some hybrid version will come out, where parts are built in some warehouse and assembled on site. (Maybe modular)

[Building]

We need enough people to buy 3d building printers and start offering 3d printed buildings cheaper than conventional buildings so that early adopters will buy them because of the lower cost, which creates additional service demand for 3d printed buildings which creates competition, which drives down cost further which creates mainstream adoption.

That's the typical trajectory of most all 'labor innovations'.
Having the technology, bringing the technology to market and that technology ultimately making a difference are three different things, all reliant on each other. 

None of these even touches on the regulatory maze that these will be susceptible to.

Over/under, how many years before anyone who can order a poured concrete building can order a 3d printed building, 10 years, I'll take the over and hope I'm wrong.

[Don_P]

Hmm, Frank Lloyd Wright's textile blocks proved more difficult to make than he anticipated but made for beautiful houses. Break in on the upper end niche. They would be a piece of cake for this.