A first-of-its-kind 3-D printed hotel is being built in the deserts of Texas. It will have an open-air bathtub, a bar, an infinity pool and more. Here’s a sneak peek
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What is so different about a 3-D printer in the US state of Texas?
Well, this one is unique because it is building the world’s first 3-D printed hotel. The El Cosmico, an existing hotel and campground on the outskirts of the city of Marfa, is expanding and building 43 more hotel units. It will also build 18 residential homes, all using the 3-D printer.
The vision for these special hotel units was imagined by El Cosmico owner Liz Lambert, Texas-based 3-D printing company ICON, and architectural firm Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG).
As per an article published in Robb Report, the plans include two, three and four bedrooms, ranging from 1,587 square feet to 2,601 square feet in size.
A rendering of a 3D-printed residence at El Cosmico hotel and campground in Marfa, Texas, US. Reuters
“Most hotels are contained within four walls and a lot of times you are building the same unit over and over and over again,” Lambert said. “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.”
Marfa is a town nestled between the Davis Mountains and Big Bend National Park and is nothing like the usual destinations in the Lone Star State.
Infinity pool, ‘reset’ room and more
Lambert asserted that the units can include architectural features that would normally be too expensive to replicate on a large scale with traditional construction.
The single-storey, 12-foot (3.7-metre) high walls of the first two units under construction are a three-bedroom residential space and a single-room hotel unit. The curvy, beige-coloured walls are being piped out by ICON’s Vulcan, a 46.5-foot (14.2 m) wide 3-D printer standing 15.5 feet (4.7 m) and weighing 4.75 tons.
A rendering of a 3D-printed residence at El Cosmico hotel and campground in Marfa, Texas, U.S. Reuters
The ‘ink’ of this 3-D printer is a special cement-based material called Lavacrete, a proprietary mixture designed for strength, affordable scale, and printability. 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 behaviour and even the final colour.
The Robb Report stated that the property will offer an open-air bathhouse as one of its perks. The focus here is a physical but also spiritual approach to health and wellness. The bathhouse will sport everything from a Hammam (steam room) and sauna to a cold plunge, hot tubs, treatment yurts, and what’s being dubbed a “reset” room where residents can rest and relax. Buyers will also enjoy a new bar and restaurant, a communal kitchen, and a circular infinity pool.
Building the 3D-printed hotel
The process of creating three-dimensional objects from a digital file is known as 3D printing. The 3D printer lays down material layer by layer until the entire property is complete. This allows for the creation of complex shapes that would be difficult or impossible to make using traditional manufacturing techniques, and in many cases, it’s faster and cheaper than traditional construction, noted the Matador Network.
The expansion of El Cosmico is set to be completed by 2026. The hotel units will range between $200 and $450 per night.
The 3D printer worksite of the first residential home and hotel unit at El Cosmico campground. Reuters
ICON is also working on a 3D-printed neighbourhood of homes near Austin. In the long term, 3D-printed construction could displace some skilled labouring jobs, said Milad Bazli, a science and technology lecturer at Charles Darwin University in Australia.
“I think from the social point of view and the effect on the economy in terms of the local jobs, especially in remote areas, that will be one of the challenges that we need to consider when we’re going to the 3D printing method,” Bazli said.
With inputs from Reuters
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Publish date : 2024-09-26 03:27:00
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