Today, New Story has unveiled the world's first 3D-printed community design, which will provide much-needed houses for impoverished families in Latin America. The homes, slated to begin printing this summer, are designed by Yves Béhar and the fuseproject environments team with new levels of efficiency and innovation and will result in the first 3D printing of an entire community in need.
Families who will live in the community have been involved in the community and house design program from the start - a key attribute of New Story's planning process. From the land selection to the community layout, they are speaking to their unique needs and desires - a population of mostly farmers and palm-weavers that is roughly equally split between men and women, ranges in age from infants to the elderly, and often lives in multi-generation homes. To ensure the home design compliments the families' needs, lives, and anticipated growth, New Story and fuseproject have facilitated a series of on-the-ground workshops to understand and adapt plans and designs to the community's habits, needs, culture, and climate.
"As we spoke to the community members, we realized that a single house design doesn't respond to the needs and expectations," Béhar noted. "This led us to design a system that allows for different programs, climate factors, and growth for families and spaces."
The updated design reflects a desire for an outdoor kitchen and an expanded outdoor area to allow for residents to keep chickens and gardens, as well as an open living space with a clerestory that provides increased ventilation. In the interior, 3D printing uniquely enables built-in elements such as counters in the kitchen and bathroom, seating, shelves and ledges in the walls and embedded structural hooks for building closets, storage, and clotheslines. The curved walls of the interior are designed to enable easy and efficient cleaning, reducing the areas where mold can easily develop.
Images: Motionland