UK Couple Enjoys Six Bedroom Home Thanks to 3D Modeled, Lego-Like Construction

Legos are appealing to so many of us—at any age—because they give us the opportunity to build models and dream, whether we are constructing an entire city or a model of a Star Wars ship. Most of us begin working with such building blocks from the time we are children, and often we hand down our collections to our own kids. Imagine taking that general concept, however, and applying it to building real houses.

Companies such as Facit Homes  are offering kit-style homes for the construction-savvy DIY crowd, as well as complete novices like new homeowners Anya and Robin Nuttall. Embracing the ‘low energy, modern home’ design Facit offers, the Nuttalls now live in a sizeable house that includes a basement, a pool, and room to grow as their family expands.

“We don’t do any DIY; we barely even change light bulbs most of the time,” Anya Nuttall recently told The Telegraph.

The Facit team created a 3D model of their home, which has an Edwardian style. Once planning and permits were in place, Facit was on site with their veritable printing factory, cutting out wood pieces. Materials were notched together to build the frame of the house, and then polystyrene pellets were used for insulation.

“Having one company that sees it through to completion means the product at the end is how it is meant to be, rather than an interpretation of it,” said Rhys Denbigh, head of new business at Facit. “It is similar to 3D printing. It’s an exact transformation from computer to reality.”

Expansion was in the works before the house was even finished as Anya became pregnant with the Nuttalls’ fourth child in the midst of the project.

“I called the architect and said we needed another bedroom,” said Anya. “He didn’t bat an eyelid.”

The Nuttalls’ kitchen

Their family now enjoys a 5,100-square-foot home with six bedrooms. They have a plentiful supply of natural light, and a ‘clean’ look to the house that they attribute to the 3D digital design.

“It’s a very satisfying process, very predictable,” said Anya. “Maybe because I’m a medic, I like things to be planned and done in a certain way.”

They enjoy a number of luxurious features:

• Open-plan kitchen
• Adult sitting room
• Leisure area in the basement
• Hot tub, swimming pool, and gym (all in basement area)

The basement pool is a unique add-on, and is extremely efficient too. One would wonder, considering the climate in the UK.

 “I was told it would be warm but it is really warm – the heating never comes on, it’s extraordinary,” said Anya.

The Nuttall family

Other companies such as Baufritz and Huf Haus are making the 3D modeled, modular homes popular, especially in Germany. Baufritz is known for very quick turnaround times. Huf Haus does not offer the personalized approach, with teams working completely from templates. Of course, there have been, or plans are in the works for, numerous other homes around the world that are predominantly fabricated with 3D printed materials, from those in Dubai to China, Russia, France, and more.

Discuss this article and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below.