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World's first 3D-printed hotel takes shape in Texas

Podeli
Illustration (Photo: Freepik / wirestock)Illustration
It looks like any other 3D printer - except it`s the size of a crane and is, layer by layer, building a hotel in the Texan desert. El Cosmico, an existing hotel and campground on the outskirts of the city of Marfa, is expanding. It is building 43 new hotel units and 18 residential homes over 60 acres (24 hectares) - all with a 3D printer.

It is the world`s first 3D-printed hotel, says El Cosmico owner Liz Lambert and the partners behind the project - Austin, Texas-based 3D printing company ICON and architects Bjarke Ingels Group.

Lambert told Reuters that technology allows for unprecedented creativity:

- I`ve never been able to build with such little constraint and such fluidity, just the curves, and the domes, and the parabolas. It`s a "crazy way to build".

She added that these architectural features would be too expensive if done with traditional construction.

The "ink" of this 3D printer is a special cement-based material called Lavacrete

ICON CEO and founder Jason Ballard said workers adjust and blend the ingredients based on weather conditions.

"The magic happens in the admixtures that allow us to continue printing," Ballard said, adding that humidity, temperature, and irradiance affect the material`s behavior and even the final color.

The expansion of El Cosmico is set to be completed by 2026. The hotel units will range between $200 and $450 per night.


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