US City to Feature First Full 3D Printed Neighborhood

The outside of a proof of concept 3D printed house is pictured in Long Island, New York, US, February 11, 2021. (Reuters)
The outside of a proof of concept 3D printed house is pictured in Long Island, New York, US, February 11, 2021. (Reuters)
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US City to Feature First Full 3D Printed Neighborhood

The outside of a proof of concept 3D printed house is pictured in Long Island, New York, US, February 11, 2021. (Reuters)
The outside of a proof of concept 3D printed house is pictured in Long Island, New York, US, February 11, 2021. (Reuters)

Construction of the largest 3D-printed neighborhood will begin in Austin in 2022. An entire neighborhood of 100 single-story, 3D-printed homes will be built.

This method of construction is faster, cheaper and less polluting than conventional construction methods, according to the three companies behind this unique project.

This development is set to be the largest neighborhood of 3D-printed homes ever built. Behind this project are Danish architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), home building company Lennar and 3D printing construction technology company ICON.

The construction of one home takes about a week. But the advantage of these 3D-printed constructions doesn’t stop there. Equipped with photovoltaic roofs, these individual houses also present benefits from an ecological point of view.

ICON’s 3D printing technology produces resilient, energy-efficient homes faster than conventional construction methods with less waste and more design freedom – keeping construction projects on schedule and on budget.

According to the company, the printers can fabricate houses of up to 280sq m. It has already printed the walls of a house measuring between 37sq m and 500sq m in 24 hours, spread over several days.

As strong and durable as traditional housing, these printed homes are designed to withstand extreme weather conditions.

“Additive manufacturing has the potential to revolutionize the built environment as it gets adopted by the industry at scale,” The Star website quoted Martin Voelkle, partner, BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group as saying.



Apple's iPhone Sales Capture Top Spot in Chinese Market in May, Counterpoint Research Says

FILE PHOTO: Signage is seen at the Apple Fifth Avenue store for the release of the Apple iPhone 14 range in Manhattan, New York City, US, September 16, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Signage is seen at the Apple Fifth Avenue store for the release of the Apple iPhone 14 range in Manhattan, New York City, US, September 16, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo
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Apple's iPhone Sales Capture Top Spot in Chinese Market in May, Counterpoint Research Says

FILE PHOTO: Signage is seen at the Apple Fifth Avenue store for the release of the Apple iPhone 14 range in Manhattan, New York City, US, September 16, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Signage is seen at the Apple Fifth Avenue store for the release of the Apple iPhone 14 range in Manhattan, New York City, US, September 16, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo

Apple's iPhone sales rose to the top spot in China in May, with global sales growing 15% year-on-year during April and May in the tech giant's strongest performance for the two-month period since the COVID-19 pandemic, data from Counterpoint Research showed.

The increase in global sales was primarily driven by a return to growth in Apple's two largest markets, China and the United States, preliminary data from Counterpoint Research showed.

The company was aided in part by tariff dodgers and also saw double-digit increases in Japan, India and the Middle Eastern markets, Reuters quoted Counterpoint as saying.

"Q2 iPhone performance looks promising at the moment, but as always, swings either way are dictated by two markets - the US and China," Ivan Lam, Senior Analyst at Counterpoint Research said.

Calculations based on data from the government-affiliated China Academy of Information and Communications Technology showed that April shipments of foreign-branded phones in China rose to 3.52 million units from 3.50 million a year earlier.

Apple has faced increased competition from domestic rivals in China and has resorted to price cuts to stay competitive.

Chinese e-commerce platforms were offering discounts of up to 2,530 yuan ($351) on Apple's latest iPhone 16 models in May.