World’s first 3D printed hotel rises in Texas desert

Project on track to deliver 43 new hotel units, 18 residences

Life

Image: Icon

A large-scale 3D printer, similar in size to a crane, is building a unique hotel in the Texas desert. El Cosmico, an existing hotel and campground near Marfa, is undertaking an expansion project that will see 43 new hotel units and 18 residential homes built on 60 acres of land.

This ambitious undertaking marks the world’s first 3D printed hotel, according to Liz Lambert, owner of El Cosmico, and her collaborators – Icon, a 3D printing company based in Austin, Texas, and Bjarke Ingels Group, the architectural firm behind the project. Lambert emphasises the pioneering nature of this technology and highlights the potential for unparalleled creativity. She contrasts traditional hotel construction, which is often limited to repetitive designs within fixed walls, with the fluidity and freedom offered by 3D printing.

The ability to incorporate intricate architectural elements, which are usually too expensive to reproduce by conventional methods, is another advantage Lambert highlights. The first two units under construction demonstrate this capability: a three-bedroom residential unit and a one-bedroom hotel unit, both with distinctive curved walls made of beige Lavacrete. Icon’s Vulcan (pictured), a massive 15.5-metre-high, 4.75-ton 3D printer, is responsible for extruding the ‘ink’ – a special cement-based material designed for strength, affordability and printability called Lavacrete.

The process is closely monitored by technicians who adjust the composition of Lavacrete according to weather conditions. Icon CEO and founder Jason Ballard explains that factors such as humidity, temperature and sunlight can affect both the behaviour of the material and the final colour of the printed structures. Icon’s ambition extends beyond El Cosmico, with ongoing projects including a 3D-printed housing development near Austin.

El Cosmico’s expansion is expected to be completed by 2026. Nightly rates for the new hotel units will range from $200 to $450.

Business AM

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