Budget-conscious eco-conscious homeowners now have a new option, low-carbon cement-based 3D-printed homes. The Casitas @ The Halles, a brand-new housing development near Round Top, Texas, has launched tiny dwellings made of concrete that emits only 8% as much carbon dioxide as conventional portland cement.
Five reasonably priced rental homes with possibilities for 400 to 900 square feet of area were constructed by Eco Material Technologies and Hive 3D, two contractors who use cement printing technology. Eco Material Technologies is a top North American supplier of sustainable cement. The small homes, which were created to match the tiny house lifestyle, will be used as short-term rentals at a location for events. By the beginning of 2024, the companies will sell these models for "significantly less than going market prices."
In the concrete mix for the Casitas project, Eco Materials' PozzoCEM Vite®, a robust cement substitute with nearly no carbon emissions, was used in place of portland cement. As a result, buildings with printed walls have a 92% lower cement's embodied carbon footprint than homes with regular cement. PozzoCEM Vita dries more quickly than conventional cement as well. More swiftly can be erected homes; normally, it takes one working day to finish the walls.