Constructing a home by hand can be both expensive and time-consuming, especially when the home features a custom design. Some homebuilders have chosen to automate part of the construction process instead.
A new architectural startup called Branch Technology uses 3D-printing robots that can construct parts for homes.
The company will build a prototype of its first home, designed by architecture firm WATG, this year in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Branch's machines will print the walls, roof, and floor of the 1,000-square-foot model over the span of a few months, and then a construction crew will assemble the components on-site.
The cost of the prototype (somewhere between $300,000 and $400,000) will be higher than what Branch eventually hopes to offer to customers. The project's larger goal is to push the boundaries of 3D printing in construction.