Taking a peek at the World’s First 3D Printed Neighborhood

Unveiled in Mexico, a non-profit and a construction technology company are building shelters for those who need it the most

We are finally beginning to see technology being put to good use with ventures like these. 3D Printing has some great applications in various industries — last month I wrote about how researchers at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York 3D-printed skin which comes with complete blood vessels, thus replicating something very similar to our own natural skin. This creation removed a significant barrier in the form of the absence of a functioning vascular system.

Moving on from healthcare to the construction industry, two companies — a non-profit organization New Story and a construction technology company Icon are striving to utilize 3D printing technology to bring shelters to the homeless in Mexico. While the former strives to bring shelter to the homeless, the latter provides innovative solutions that are revolutionizing homebuilding.

The endeavor has been two years in the making. The two companies started their collaboration back in 2017, with the creation of the first permitted 3D printed home in the U.S last year — a 350 sq ft. proof-of-concept model in Austin Texas last…