Japanese company delivers 3D printed home ‘bought for the price of a car’

Japan-based housing company Serendix has announced the completion of 'serendix50', a 3D printed house that forms part of the company’s mission of building homes that can be bought for the price of a car.

Serendix first made headlines in March 2022 with the creation of serendix10, a 3D printed home that was printed in under 24 hours. Having sold out the six editions of the home by October, the company undertook the design and construction of serendix50, otherwise known as the ‘barnacle model.’

The design of Serendix50 was primarily influenced by demand from older married couples seeking a home for their retirement years. The resulting 538-square-foot scheme, developed by a team including the Digital Manufacturing Creation Center, KAP, Tateo Densetsu, Hyakunen Jutaku, and Nabeju, was constructed in 44 hours and 30 minutes.

Serendix50 merges two digital fabrication techniques: 3D printing for the framework and CNC cutting for roofing. The company is currently aiming to sell six buildings following the completion of safety verifications, with a sales price of $34,000, which is 90% less than the general house price in Japan. According to the team's aspirations, such a methodology makes possible a future where the general population can purchase high-performance, safe, and inexpensive homes without the need for a mortgage.

“Until now, the house was haute couture (depending on the craftsman), and it was natural that the cost was high at tens of millions of yen,” Serendix said in a statement. “In the automotive industry, 40 years ago, the price reduction of products began due to the innovation of the manufacturing process using robots. We believe that the 3D printer house is the beginning of complete robotization of the housing industry.”

The scheme is one of several 3D printed projects to feature in our editorial. The technology is also central in a domed timber pavilion recently delivered at the University of Freiburg and a school in Lviv, Ukraine. Last month, meanwhile, ICON, Lennar, and BIG revealed the first completed 3D printed home at Wolf Ranch, Texas, while Studio RAP delivered a 3D printed passage in Delft that reinterprets traditional ceramic crafts.

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