Bjarke Ingels Group co-design development using pioneering new technology

Construction on the world’s largest community of 3D-printed homes is underway in Georgetown, TX. The 100-home community was co-designed by Tenderstream member Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and is being built by Lennar, one of the USA’s leading housebuilders, and ICON, an expert in advanced construction technologies pioneering large-scale 3D printing.

Situated in the masterplanned Wolf Ranch community, the new homes include eight floorplans with 24 unique configurations ranging from 1,574 – 2,112 sq ft, powered by solar energy. Delivered using a fleet of ICON’s Vulcan robotic construction systems, software and advanced materials, each home’s full wall system minimises the waste typically associated with standard construction processes.

 “We are very pleased to partner with ICON and BIG in building a first-of-its-kind, printed home community that combines innovative designs with sustainable features at an affordable price,” said Stuart Miller, executive chairman of Lennar. “Given the housing shortage that persists across the country, it has never been more important to innovate in order to find new methods of construction that will enable greater design flexibility and greater production at affordable prices.”

Construction at Wolf Ranch deepens a relationship that began with Lennar’s investment in Austin-based ICON’s series B financing round and offers a promising path toward an alternate method of delivering technology-driven homes that meet rising demand in desirable communities.

“For the first time in the history of the world, what we’re witnessing here is a fleet of robots building an entire community of homes. And not just any homes, homes that are better in every way… better design, higher strength, higher energy performance and comfort, and increased resiliency,” said Jason Ballard, co-founder and CEO of ICON. “In the future, I believe robots and drones will build entire neighborhoods, towns, and cities, and we’ll look back at Lennar’s Wolf Ranch community as the place where robotic construction at scale began. We still have a long way to go, but I believe this marks a very exciting and hopeful turn in the way we address housing issues in the world.”

Lucy Nordberg

Tenderstream Head of Research

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