"Sorry, Rita, I can't make it tomorrow. My house is being printed this weekend, and I really want to watch it being built. You should come over next week for the housewarming party."

That conversation may not be that far off, seeing that houses can now be created via a 3D printer. No joke. Technology sure has come a long way!

The world of 3D printing is a fascinating one and has quickly advanced in the past couple decades. Basically, 3D printing is a process where material is joined or solidified under computer control to create a three-dimensional object. Early uses of 3D printing focused on more simple things like prototypes, but today it's exploded across many industries (for some background information on 3D printing, check out Wikipedia) and is now being used to build houses...in just a couple days!

Fast Company highlights the story of New Story, a nonprofit created in 2014 and Icon, the construction tech company that has created the massive 3D printer capable of printing a house.

New Story was founded to quickly build housing for those living in extreme poverty or for those needing housing after experiencing a natural disaster. Currently, about a billion people live without adequate housing and that number is projected to triple by 2050. Traditional construction takes too long to efficiently and quickly build houses for people in need, and the labor can be costly. The company turned to 3D printing as a solution to decrease costs and speed up construction. They began working with Icon in 2017 to develop the machine needed for such a task.

The Vulcan II was created: a 33-by-11-foot machine that can 3D print the frame of a small house in less than a day. Walls and floors are created in a day by squirting layers of a proprietary concrete mixture that's three times stronger than the industry standard concrete. A conventional roof, windows, and utilities can be completed in another day using the printer. Almost the entire process is automated. If that's not impressive enough, the homes are also eco-friendly. The printers use local materials and produce zero waste.

New Story has already used the technology to build entire communities in Haiti, Mexico, El Salvador and Bolivia. The houses are built for families who currently live in substandard shack-like housing. The nonprofit will fund the houses initially, with the families paying back a no-interest loan based on income. New Story works with local organizations who are experts in their location.

New Story accepts donations, with 100% of your donation going directly to building homes.

It's an exciting technology that will have a huge worldwide impact.