A pioneering 3D-printed house just popped up in Xian, China - and Chinese company ZhuoDa "built" the two-story villa in less than three hours. Made up of six 3D-printed modules, the house was assembled like LEGO bricks before a live audience who were then invited to explore the interior. The modular fireproof home can withstand a magnitude-9 earthquake and is made from a special construction material the company is keeping secret. The company completed approximately 90 percent of the construction in an off-site factory before shipping the modular pieces to the installation site. This efficient and timesaving process dramatically reduces construction costs to just US$ 400 - US$ 480 per square meter. According to An Yongliang, the developing engineer at Zhuoda, the 3D-printed villa only takes about 10 days to produce from initial construction to final assembly, while it typically takes half a year to build a traditional villa. The house is capable of withstanding high-magnitude earthquakes because the modules, each weighing over 100 kilograms per square meter, bear weight independently. The steel-framed structure home can also be filled with heat-insulating materials. The Zhuoda Group has filed over 22 patents on their technology and is keeping their top-secret material under wraps. However, the company's vice president Tan BuYong has revealed that the new material is sourced from industrial and agricultural waste, is fireproof and waterproof, and is free from harmful substances such as formaldehyde, ammonia, and radon. After the structural framework was 3D-printed, the company applied decorative sheet textures to each module before final assembly. Homeowners will be able to choose from a variety of decorative textures, such as jade, marble, wood, and granite. Herbs can even be embedded into the walls of the house for "built-in aromatherapy". The buildings can withstand wear for at least 150 years. On January 2015 a Chinese company WinSun has successfully 3D printed a five-story apartment building and a 110 square meters villa from special print material. China's newest mansion is not only made from recycled materials, but the sprawling 110 square meters home was made with 3D printing. The luxury mansion was 3D printed in layers, using recycled stone and construction waste.

If centuries ago famous architect Antonio Gaudi heard that his masterpiece Sagrada Familia construction will be completed with 3D printers, he would be surprised. However, 3D printers are successfully implemented in construction processes. For example, Emerging Objects Company created 3D printed ceramic cool bricks, Chinese company WinSun 3D printed a five-story apartment building and a 110 square meters villa , American architect Adam Kushner plans to build the newest 3D-printed estate . World's first 3D printed home constructed in Amsterdam Today the innovative Dutch construction company Heijmans has unveiled their latest avant-garde project: a 3D-printed steel bridge in the heart of Amsterdam. A new bridge created in collaboration with Dutch startup MX3D and designed by Dutch designer Joris Laarman. Multi-axis industrial robots will construct the pedestrian bridge using cost-effective and scalable technologies. MX3D equips multi-axis industrial robots with 3D printing tools and develops software so that the robots print metals, plastics and combinations of materials in virtually any format. From large construction to small part - with this technique MX3D can 3D print strong, complex structures of durable material. The new technique is cost-effective and scalable, more than current 3D printing methods, and offers creative robot production solutions for art, construction and more. The goal behind the experimental 3D-printing project is the eventual creation of an automatic construction site. According to Jan van de Ven, Heijmans' Manager of Business Development, the use of 3D printing for construction purposes also has benefits in the design sector and, once popularized, can revolutionize the way we approach the design/build process. "Construction and design are currently rather separate factors in construction - the architect design something and the constructor interprets the design and builds what he thinks is needed. But using 3D printing for a bridge makes design and construction operate hand-in-hand. For instance, both activities are done at the same time, instead of first building the structure and then adding the design later. This means we will also have to start looking at design in a completely different manner." The location of the bridge has not yet been determined but will be announced soon. The pedestrian bridge will span one of Amsterdam's old canals and has been described by designer Joris Laarman as a "fantastic metaphor for connecting the technology of the future with the city's historic past, in a way which would reveal the best aspects of both worlds." From September 2015 a visitor center opens for the public, where the progress of the project can be followed. MX3D and the City of Amsterdam will announce the exact location of the bridge soon.

Nasa is holding a competition with US$ 2.25 million in prizes to find the best sustainable habitat that can house astronauts on deep space exploration missions. The US space agency is challenging designers, architects, engineers and 3D printing enthusiasts to not just build sustainable housing that can be quickly 3D printed and replicated, but also to make sure that the materials used are both recyclable and indigenous to Mars. The new project will feature two different stages. The first stage, which is currently open for registration, requires entrants to design an architectural concept for a habitat that makes use of 3D printing, with 30 submissions shortlisted and a cash prize of US$ 50,000 to be given out. The second stage of the competition opens for registration on 26 September and entrants can choose to enter either or both of the two challenges set, which each carry a prize of US$ 1.1 million. The Structural Member Competition (Level 1) requires entrants to develop the fabrication technologies needed to manufacture structural components either from a combination of indigenous materials and recyclables, or indigenous materials alone. Meanwhile, the On-Site Habitat Competition (Level 2) challenges competitors to build full-scale habitats using indigenous materials or indigenous materials combined with recyclables.

Last year architect Adam Kushner announced plans to build the newest 3D-printed estate in Gardiner, New York. Recently, the architect and CEO of D-Shape, James Wolff, presented new renderings of Kushner's project at 3D Print Week NY that show an even more over-the-top plan than we even imagined. According to the project details, the entire structure will be built using a modified version of Enrico Dini's oversized D-Shape printer. And we're not just talking one basic house here. No, Kushner is determined to build a massive swimming pool, pool house and car port to go along with the four-bedroom, 223 square meters home, and eventually creating one enormous 3D-printed estate. Although still in the planning stages, the residence is slated to be built about 137 kilometers from New York City on a 20 thousand square meters parcel of land that Kushner and his wife purchased three years ago. Kushner explained that it was the plot's naturally rocky landscape that inspired the ambitious 3D design. "The materials on the site will be used to form the pieces of the site, which reflect the very characteristics of the site, which stems from the materials found on the site," explained Kushner. "I think it's a perfect circle." The 3D design scheme stems from the geomorphology of the rocks found in the area, inspiring Kushner to print the entire estate using the rocks for aggregates in the building process. According to 3D Print, using Enrico Dini's D-Shape printers, which differ from the common fused deposition-based models, will allow Kushner to print the necessary materials using on-site resources such as sand, which will be combined with a magnesium-based binding agent. Kushner is still waiting for the delivery of the large-scale 3D printer from Italy. However, if all goes well with US customs and NATO approval, the machine should be on-site in May and the team hopes to begin the first trials and test prints using the new machine by June. Once all of the kinks have been worked out, the team expects to begin 3D printing the pool, followed by the pool house and car port. The last piece of the 3D puzzle will be the most challenging - printing and building the 223 square meters house itself. As far as why this project is so important to Kushner, he explains that by starting on such an ambitiously-sized estate, the 3D home building process can later be used for far more important and diverse tasks, such as producing affordable housing or emergency shelters. "If we can build a pool, then we can begin building reefs, and repair bridges, bulkheads and other underwater structures which there is a huge worldwide need," said Kushner. "The thought is that if we can build a pool house and modest enclosed structure, then it is a short step to building emergency shelters and low cost housing units." Recently a Chinese company WinSun has successfully 3D printed a five-story apartment building and a 110 square meters villa from special print material. China's newest mansion is not only made from recycled materials, but the sprawling 110 square meters home was made with 3D printing. The luxury mansion was 3D printed in layers, using recycled stone and construction waste. Last year the Dutch company DUS Architects developed 3D-printed house using bioplastic.

The Sagrada Familia church in Barcelona, Spain, has been under construction for more than 130 years, but now thanks to the 21st century technology of 3D printing, the 19th century project may finally be completed by 2026. This is perhaps one of the longest active construction projects on the planet. Construction work began in 1882, but only a quarter of the church was completed at the time of his death in 1926. Although there is still much work left to be done to complete Gaudi's vision, the church is already structurally sound, open to the public, and completely stunning, reported BBC. In part because of its long lifespan, this project has captivated architects and designers since its inception. What delights folks now is the amazing progress that 3D printing has enabled the present-day architecture team to stay as true as possible to the intent of the design's original creator. Project leaders began using 3D printing in 2001, but the technology has advanced so much in recent years that it is now more useful and accurate than ever. Chief architect Jordi Coll believes that Gaudi himself would have been a great proponent of 3D-printed architecture. "Due to the complexity of surfaces and forms, working with Gaudi's designs in 2D does not make sense from an architectural point of view," he said, as quoted by 3D Systems. "If Gaudi was alive today, he would have brought 3D technology to its maximum exponent, since much of his work was already conceived tri-dimensionally." Due to the scale of the project, Sagrada Familia has its own technical studio which acquired two 3D printers to help with the construction. The printers are being used, in large part, to reconstruct 3D models of the building, following Gaudi's designs. The original plaster models created from Gaudi's 2D drawings were almost completely destroyed by vandals during the Spanish Civil War, along with most of his writings and photographs. Architects are working hard to use modern technology to piece back together Gaudi's design, and the progress they've made on the building has most visitors feeling like they must be doing a good job.