After a post office, Bengaluru is set to get 3D-printed villas by the end of the year. Reports of L&T building six such luxury houses in Varthur surfaced last week.
R Prasad, a resident of Varthur, says he would not mind buying a 3D-printed house as long as the technology can make things faster and cheaper, and offer flexible designs. “A Flinstones-kind of house in under a year, why not? I don’t think renting or reselling should be an issue because new-age buyers are already open to concepts like container homes,” he says.
However, when the 3D-printed post office opened in Cambridge Layout last August, citizens raised concerns about its ability to withstand gale winds and earthquakes.
Experts weigh in on the appeal of 3D-printed houses to Indian buyers. In the case of 3D Concrete Printing (3DCP), the technology used to construct these houses, robotic arms spray construction material in layers through a nozzle, replacing labourers who would otherwise do jobs like bricklaying and reinforcement.
‘Miles away from going mainstream’
Karan Nadig is cofounder-director and principal architect of a company that makes luxury container and prefabricated homes. He says the construction industry in India is currently plagued by cost overruns, massive delays and labour issues. Automation in housing, he believes, will lead to faster turnaround, quality control, and endless designs. “But until we reach a certain scale of manufacturing, it won’t become cheaper,” he warns.
Deepak V Punam views it as a step towards sustainability. He is researching sustainable building practices. “It uses construction and debris waste and industrial waste. It also minimises wastage during construction up to 90%,” he reasons.
However, architect Mansoor Ali is concerned about the scope for renovation or vastu-related changes after completion. “Here, you need to decide where plumbing and electrical lines, windows and doors go on the drawing board and absolutely thoroughly,” he explains.
Girish M G wonders to what extent these houses can resist seismic forces. The professor of civil engineering says, “Structurally speaking, it has less joints or reinforcement.”
Raunak Sudhakar understands a layperson’s fascination for novel buildings but for architects like him, the current outcomes are too ordinary. “The technology is simply being used to pour cement mixture, not to make disruptive designs. India boasts diverse craftsmanship when it comes to building and we want to drive our artisans out of jobs for this?” he asks.
He uses 3D printers for building parts and prototyping and knows the potential is immense. “I will be impressed when we can print houses in interesting shapes,” he says.
Currently, 3DCP has only delivered standalone or two-storey structures. If it can’t build high-rises, it can’t provide an affordable mass housing solution, which the technology has been hailed for globally, these experts say.
Suresh Hari, secretary, Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (CREDAI), says 3D-printed houses are miles away from going mainstream. “With the cost of cement going up and sand not being available, there is a need for innovation. Pre-fabricated or modular structures have been around but have their limitations. They are still not doing multi-dwelling structures,” he says.