Video Transcript
In August, America’s first subdivision comprised of 3D printed homes was on the verge of completion in Georgetown, Texas.
And while regional consumers responded positively to the designs — they were all sold at the time — houses built using additive manufacturing techniques were still quite outside the norm.
But one major corporate brand’s recent attempt to get behind the technique may serve as a boost for this innovative type of construction.
Starbucks has unveiled its first 3D-printed drive-thru coffee store in Brownsville, Texas, featuring signature layered concrete walls with doors and windows sandwiched throughout.
German construction firm Peri3D collaborated with Starbucks on the project, which used a computer-controlled robotic arm for applying the concrete layers.
And while the cost of 3D-printed construction is still higher than that of traditional methods, experts believe that, with scale, the approach will become more cost-effective as labor costs are eliminated.
Not to mention, the process has a speed advantage: from construction start to opening, the Brownsville location was done in just a couple months.
Starbucks has remained mum on whether this will serve as a blueprint for future stores.
Still, construction experts see this instance as a boon for the technology, referring to it as an example of an industry figuring out ways to use the technology.
