Apis Cor, which makes robots that 3D print buildings and develops cutting-edge technologies and materials for construction, is working to accelerate the adoption of 3D printed homes and buildings. Its unique design of the compact robotic printer allows it to be easily transported using a van and trailer. The company’s competitive advantage centers on ease of installation, which only requires 2 people to install and “print the house/building”. This unique design of Apis Cor’s 3D printer allows the structure of buildings to be constructed directly on site without any additional assembly. Apis Cor wants to help set the stage to finally automate the construction industry to levels that will really help make an impact in the industry.

According to UN Habitat World Cities Report 2020: The Value of Sustainable Urbanization (PDF), future homeowners around the world are forced to save more than 5 times their annual income to pay the price of a standard house. The report also states that 1.6 billion people, or 20% of the world’s population, live in inadequate housing, with one billion residing in slums and informal settlements. It just goes to show that the challenge of solving these problems is immense and that solving this housing backlog with current construction methods will not be sustainable. It will be really difficult to reduce this backlog quickly enough and will not be very sustainable from a resource utilization point of view. Automation and increased productivity allow 3D printed house shells to be built 9 times faster than with traditional construction methods. Accelerating the adoption of 3D printed homes could therefore be one of the best ways to tackle the global housing crisis.

Anna Chen-iun-tai, CEO and co-founder of Apis Cor, says, “3D printing technology allows us to reduce the amount of construction waste. Additive manufacturing is the opposite of subtractive manufacturing process where you need to cut out additional material to create a needed shape. In the case of 3D printing, you add as much material as needed to create a shape. This makes it a more efficient and sustainable process.

Based in Melbourne, Florida, the company holds the Guinness Book World Record for the tallest 3D printed building in the world on earth. This project was printed in collaboration with the government of Dubai for use as a municipal office. Apis Cor’s solution prints exterior and interior walls, tackling the longest and most expensive components of construction projects. The 3D printing process allows homes to be printed in days, reducing construction time and project costs. This automated process also solves a major challenge in the construction industry – a critical shortage of skilled labour. For example, in the United States, the sector will need to add 61,000 new workers per month over the next 3 years, which represents 2.2 million new hires.

Founded 6 years ago, Apis Cor is preparing to expand its operations, bringing its proven technology to the US construction industry, starting in Florida. Bookings are now open for the rest of the United States and the company will begin carrying out these projects from the beginning of 2023. Thereafter, it will expand and expand its operations beyond the United States. The reservation fee is $7,000.

“Building 3D printing technology opens up the possibility of using alternative materials that are more environmentally friendly and contain less cement. For example, we used gypsum-based 3D printing material to construct the building in Dubai. Gypsum-based materials still contain cement, but in much less quantity than in ordinary concrete. The material is as strong as concrete because we have developed an advanced formula that achieves the required compressive strength. Additionally, the building was constructed to local building codes for reinforced concrete buildings. This means that we printed the formwork for the structural columns which were reinforced and filled with regular concrete, and we also printed the freestanding partitions and walls. This is how we achieved the structural integrity of a building.

“Our long term plan is to switch to cementless materials. For example, geopolymer material that we have already tested successfully in the past. The use of geopolymer technology in concrete and cement production offers the following environmental benefits over traditional Portland cement production:

1. reduction of CO2 emissions by up to 90% in the production process
2. a minimum of 60% less impact on the environment by reducing the need to extract raw materials
3. recycle and reuse waste and by-products from existing industries

Apis Cor has already made a lot of noise in its fundraising. Apis Cor is supported by Alchemist Accelerator, an accelerator for business start-ups, as well as At One Venturesa venture capital and private equity firm that finds, funds and grows teams to catalyze a world where humanity is a net positive for nature.

Apis Cor is already working on applications beyond Earth.

“3D printing technology is a method for constructing buildings robotically, so it has the potential to be applied to extraterrestrial construction. Although the materials, robots and equipment are obviously different due to a completely different environment and challenges, we will apply our knowledge of 3D printed houses received on Earth, so basically our work of 3D printed houses on Earth will inevitably be applied to expand technological capabilities beyond Earth.

In the future, there may be scenarios where robots start by building the initial infrastructure before people arrive.

Apis Cor has already won several awards including:

• Best rewards on NASA’s 3D Printed Habitat Challenge for self-contained precision printing, high material performance: durability, impact test, water penetration test.
• Apis Cor received the Diamond Award for its creative approach to designing its luxury buildings, as part of HBCA’s annual Parade of Homes competition in Space Coast, Florida.
• Guinness World Record for the tallest 3D printed building on Earth, 2019

All images courtesy of Apis Cor

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