Another addition to the “instant house movement” that MHProNews has documented April 24, 2014  and Jan. 27, 2014, among others, is 3D printer construction technology called Contour Crafting which produces concrete buildings using a giant robotic printer in one day, and is capable of constructing round and straight formations. Developer Dr. Behrokh Khoshnevis of the University of Southern California’s Viterbi School of Engineering is working with NASA to create lunar huts from materials on the moon—the same for Mars. However, the initial application will be on earth, likely building modular homes in emerging markets where the demand is greatest for inexpensive, safe and quick housing. It will not take the place of glass, steel and wood, but it will reduce the need for wood, which is often depleted in non-Western cultures by the need for fuel. Cavities are cut from the wall for wiring, insulation and doors and windows, according to bbc.com, and the walls are three times as strong. It may not show up in your neighborhood soon, but it could also be very useful in disaster situations. ##

(Image credit: bbcnews/Contour Crafting–3D printer “printing” a house)