World's first 3D-printed hotel takes shape at Texas in United States

It looks like any other 3D printer - except it's the size of a crane and is, layer by layer, building a hotel in the Texan desert. El Cosmico, an existing hotel and campground on the outskirts of the city of Marfa, is expanding. It is building 43 new hotel units and 18 residential homes over 40 acres (16 hectares) - all with a 3D printer. (Reuters)

"Most hotels are contained within four walls and a lot of times you are building the same unit over and over and over again," said El Cosmico owner Liz Lambert.

The curvy, beige-coloured walls are being piped out by ICON's Vulcan, a 46.5-feet (14.2 m) wide 3D printer standing 15.5 feet (4.7 m) and weighing 4.75 tons. (Reuters)

The "ink" of this 3D printer is a special cement-based material called Lavacrete, a proprietary mixture designed for strength, affordable scale, and printability. ICON CEO and founder Jason Ballard said workers adjust and blend the ingredients based on weather conditions. (Reuters)

"The magic happens in the admixtures that allow us to continue printing," Ballard said, adding that humidity, temperature, and irradiance affect the material's behaviour and even the final colour. ICON is also working on a 3D-printed neighbourhood of homes near Austin. (Reuters)

In the long term, 3D-printed construction could displace some skilled labouring jobs, said Milad Bazli, a science and technology lecturer at Charles Darwin University in Australia. (Reuters)

"I think from the social point of view and the effect on the economy in terms of the local jobs, especially in remote areas, that will be one of the challenges that we need to consider when we're going to the 3D printing method," Bazli said. (Reuters)

The expansion of El Cosmico is set to be completed by 2026. The hotel units will range between $200 and $450 per night. (Reuters)