If you haven’t heard about the recent innovations in 3-D printing technologies then it is likely that you have been living under a rock. While the initial idea and first prototypes of 3-D printers were created back in 1984, only just recently have they become standardized and widely available to the public. The basic premise of 3-D printing is called Additive Manufacturing (AM), which is the process of adding layer after layer of material, typically done by robotics and computers, to create 3-D objects.
There are several different 3-D printing processes that have been developed since the late 1970s. They were typically large, expensive, and very limited in what they could produce, but nowadays you can pick up a small 3-D printer that will fit in your home for about $350-$400, with various models and designs fetching a price tag up to $44,000+.
A Chinese company called WinSun, which is owned by designer Ma Yihe, has successfully created ten full-sized, detached single-story houses in one day. This was in response to the growing housing crisis, as well as the increasing demand for economical and sustainably-produced living spaces.
