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)
TT

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.



Facebook-Parent Meta Settles with Australia’s Privacy Watchdog over Cambridge Analytica Lawsuit

The logo of Meta Platforms' business group is seen in Brussels, Belgium December 6, 2022. (Reuters)
The logo of Meta Platforms' business group is seen in Brussels, Belgium December 6, 2022. (Reuters)
TT

Facebook-Parent Meta Settles with Australia’s Privacy Watchdog over Cambridge Analytica Lawsuit

The logo of Meta Platforms' business group is seen in Brussels, Belgium December 6, 2022. (Reuters)
The logo of Meta Platforms' business group is seen in Brussels, Belgium December 6, 2022. (Reuters)

Meta Platforms has agreed to a A$50 million settlement ($31.85 million), Australia's privacy watchdog said on Tuesday, closing long-drawn, expensive legal proceedings for the Facebook parent over the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner had alleged that personal information of some users was being disclosed to Facebook's personality quiz app, This is Your Digital Life, as part of the broader scandal.

The breaches were first reported by the Guardian in early 2018, and Facebook received fines from regulators in the United States and the UK in 2019.

Australia's privacy regulator has been caught up in the legal battle with Meta since 2020. The personal data of 311,127 Australian Facebook users was "exposed to the risk of being disclosed" to consulting firm Cambridge Analytica and used for profiling purposes, according to the 2020 statement.

It convinced the high court in March 2023 to not hear an appeal, which is considered to be a win that allowed the watchdog to continue its prosecution.

In June 2023, the country's federal court ordered Meta and the privacy commissioner to enter mediation.

"Today's settlement represents the largest ever payment dedicated to addressing concerns about the privacy of individuals in Australia," the Australian Information Commissioner Elizabeth Tydd said.

Cambridge Analytica, a British consulting firm, was known to have kept personal data of millions of Facebook users without their permission, before using the data predominantly for political advertising, including assisting Donald Trump and the Brexit campaign in the UK.

A Meta spokesperson told Reuters that the company had settled the lawsuit in Australia on a no admission basis, closing a chapter on allegations regarding past practices of the firm.