Imagining Neighborhoods Filled with 3D Printed Homes

"Gensler, the San Francisco-based design and architecture firm, says it’s working with a Chinese company to explore the possibility of producing homes using massive 3D-printers," reports Ryan Holeywell.

Jorge Barrero, a senior associate at Gensler, is quoted in the article describing the potential of 3D printing technology as "very, very disruptive" in the architecture and construction industries.

But wait, some see potential for the technology to transform the way we plan cities as well. "One idea under consideration," according to Holeywell, "a new style of urban planning, where a 3D printing facility forms the center of a community." 

In more detail, in such a theoretical neighborhood, "a massive 3D printer could be stored in a factory, and the houses it produces would be installed around it. Once the neighborhood was complete, the 3D printer could be removed, and the factory would be left behind and converted into a school, community center, or other amenity."

The article includes more discussion of the potential of 3D printing technology as well as some its limitations.