Developers for Zuri Gardens plan to build a neighborhood near Hobby Airport including 80 homes constructed using automated robotics, layering the concrete forming walls and eventually an entire house in days instead of months.
KTRH’s Texas Home Improvement Host, Jim Dutton, says one of the biggest differences is the rounded corners as opposed to square corners. The structure itself can withstand Houston weather. “It’s a solid structure. Like in Houston where we have hurricanes and storms and such, its concrete, it’s not going anywhere.” Dutton said.
He says concrete homes are not a new concept. Thomas Edison was building homes out of concrete, but they were cast in place. The newest concept using concrete printing technology uses conveyor feeding concrete through to the robotic machine that uses a mechanical arm to stack 3-inch layers with concrete designed to dry at a fast pace.
To install plumbing and electric he says they use conduit or pipes plugging them into the layers as they are stacked on top of one another.
The cost of concrete homes is listed at the mid to upper $200 thousand’s.
“They’re expecting the cost, over time, to come down because it is a machine that’s been programmed. Instead of having a dozen people hammering nails and putting a structure together. Labor wise- its light, but the material side is a little higher. Overall, it’s a break even.” He explained.
At around 60 years, Dutton says, brick and mortar homes are considered at a full life span unless the owner chooses to renovate. The concrete homes he says have a life span of 100 years. So, if someone is considering buying a concrete home there are a lot of similarities in price of a brick-and-mortar home but the sustainability could pay off long term over generations.
First-time home buyers may qualify for up to $125,000 in down payment aid through various loans and grants.