As the city of Austin, Texas has grown as a creative and tech hub over the past few years, something far less positive has grown, too: the city’s homeless population. This week, a team spanning architecture, design, and technology debuted a radical new proposal to stem this growth using 3D printing.
In a partnership with Mobile Loaves & Fishes, a nonprofit serving Austin’s community, 3D printing company ICON debuted the first building in a proposed community of 3D-printed structures to house Austin’s homeless. The 500-square-foot Welcome Center was printed over a span of 27 hours, then decorated by designer Claire Zinnecker using furniture donated by Industry West.