Travellers with an affinity for camping in the USA are probably already familiar with El Cosmico in Marfa, Texas. After all, it’s a pretty hip glamping site. Until now, people have slept here in safari tents, teepees or Airstreams. A 3D printed hotel is soon to follow on the site.
Dome construction with infinity pool
3D printing is nothing new anymore. The technology is used in many fields. Among other things, it is also used in the construction industry. The Austin-based start-up ICON, for example, has specialised in this field. Together with the Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), it is now working on the first 3D printed hotel. There is no exact date for the opening yet. It is likely that the first guests will be welcomed sometime in 2024.
Visitors to the SXSW Festival were already able to get a first impression of the future property. There, an amphitheatre from the 3D printer served as a performance space. What is already certain: The individual guest accommodations will be spread over a 25-hectare estate. They are planned as domes and round “Sunday Homes”. A circular infinity pool and an open-air spa are also included. In addition, the design provides for communal areas for workshops. Permanent accommodation is also planned.
How does 3D Printing work?
3D printing – that sounds somehow like individual building parts suddenly tumbling out of the home office’s printer. In reality, it is simply a process in which layer upon layer of a material is applied to a surface. This creates three-dimensional structures. The materials used differ depending on the area of application. In the case of the plans for El Cosmic, it is concrete. Desert soil from the surroundings is added to it. The effect: structures fit perfectly into the environment. Even the structure of the walls is meant to be reminiscent of traditional adobe houses.
“Our collaboration with El Cosmico and Icon has allowed us to explore the formal and material possibilities of cutting-edge 3D-printed constructions, regardless of the traditional constraints of a conventional site or builder,” says Bjarke Ingels. The founder and creative director of BIG is looking forward to working with Liz Lambert. She is the visionary hotelier behind El Cosmic. Whether and how the plans will actually be realised remains to be seen. One thing is certain: both ICON and BIG have big plans.
Among other things, ICON is working on rocket pads and communities on other planets – in theory. Pretty houses for under 99,000 dollars are already being realised. It is also implementing Homeless Shelter from the 3D printer. And BIG? The Danish company designed a cabana called “the Biosphere” that floats among the trees and is covered by 350 birdhouses. It will open in Sweden in May 2023.
