Australian 3D printing building and construction firm, Luyten, has signed a deal with the Ilpeye Ilpeye Aboriginal Corporation (IIAC) to build five 3D printed homes in the Northern Territory. The houses will be built using Luyten’s world-class 3D printing tech which has garnered international acclaim and attracted the interest of multinational building companies across the globe. The deal will see Luyten commence building the structures in August this year.
What were the Luyten’s thoughts on the partnership?
“We are excited that our tech will be used to help address the need for affordable and durable housing solutions in the Northern Territory,” Luyten cofounder and CEO, Ahmed Mahil said.
“We are extremely proud of our technology and our ability as an Australian business to spearhead the 3D printing industry for the building and construction industry throughout the world – and it is wonderful to see our technology and capabilities now been adopted here in Australia to help solve the growing housing affordability crisis,” Mahil further commented.
“We have achieved a lot and we are looking to achieve even more. We are the first firm to build a 3D printed house in the southern hemisphere. Our tech is proven and in high demand.”
“Our 3D printed houses are Australia and New Zealand building code (AS/NSZ 1170 and AS 3600) compliant and are built using our highly robust and eco-friendly Luyten Ultimatecrete 3D printable concrete which results in 82.5 MPa compressive strength after 28 days, four times stronger than the 20 MPa residential building code actually requires,” Mahil said.
“The houses will be built using Luyten’s largest printer, the Platypus X12 – the most advanced robotic transforming 3D printer in the world. It has already been ordered by several organisations across the world in the Americas, Middle East and the Philippines. There is no doubt that Australia is leading the way across the world for our ingenuity and tech,” he added.
How vital is IIAC-Luyten deal to the indigenous people?
Mahil explained the Ilpeye Ilpeye community is home to Traditional Owners and Custodians of Alice Springs and the surrounding region in Central Australia. Residents are part of the oldest living cultures in the world. “And so here we see how the old and new ways combine to create a better future, not just for Indigenous people but for everyone,” Mahil commented.
“IIAC understands the benefits of 3D printing houses and is looking to harness this innovation in construction, eco-friendly impact, structural integrity and durability and cost saving attributes to address the housing shortage and affordability issues in the Northern Territory.”
“Adequate housing is a basic human right, but unfortunately not everyone has access. IIAC believes this innovative way has the potential to build houses stronger, faster, cheaper and more energy efficient. That’s why IIAC is working in partnership with Luyten to deliver 3D printed houses in community—the first of its kind in Australia and the southern hemisphere!”
“We are excited to see the 3D houses completed and people living in them. IIAC sees this is a golden opportunity to showcase an Indigenous partnership towards a new approach to housing using innovative 3D printing tech,” IIAC spokesperson Dr Salvin Gounder said.
“This will be a step forward in what will hopefully be the start of many more 3D printing housing projects in the Northern Territory, and other states across the country. This is an investment towards a sustainable future in housing development for Indigenous people.”
What is Luyten’s industry expertise?
Founded in 2020, Luyten is focused on bridging the technological gap in large-scale and manufacturing industries through the introduction of robust construction automation technologies such as cutting-edge 3D printing and additive technologies.
The firm designs and manufactures custom large-scale three dimensional construction printers for domestic and commercial construction. Since launching, the business has expanded its remit and forged a key partnership with the University of NSW, to build structures and base camps on the moon and on other planets including Mars. It has also signed deals with multinational building and construction companies to build houses in Asia.
“We are able to build a three bedroom home in as little as three days. The process involves printing the structural elements in two days and assembling the components on day three. Printed elements are ready to handle and be moved within only five hours of being printed. This is the great thing about our special concrete mix, it cures quickly and delivers results that supersede what is currently available at four times less cost,” Mahil further explained.
“In addition, the build cost is 70% less when compared to the known traditional methods. We have undertaken extensive global research to establish this cost analysis,” Mahil said.
What is Luyten’s stance on sustainability?
Luyten’s mission has been to make construction easier and more sustainable across a broad range of industries by reducing the time and cost to build, the amount of construction waste generated, and the impact of build activities on the surrounding environment.
“Luyten transforms construction projects that would traditionally take months or years to complete, and finishes them within a number of days. The 3D concrete printing revolutionary technology reduces 60% of construction waste, 70% of production time, and 80% of labour costs when comparing hands-on construction projects,” Mahil further commented.
“The tech is proven to increase construction site efficiency with 60% guaranteed costs savings, 300 to 500 times shorter execution times, and an 80% total reduction in monetary expenses without formwork in concrete construction. The world has never seen capabilities like this before. We are the fastest growing firm of our kind in the southern hemisphere.”
“Luyten has a number of unique selling points that are also unmatched internationally, such as our capacity to incorporate acoustic and optical based artificial intelligence for data driven concrete printing. Our 3D printers also boast a patented anti-clogging printer head, which means that the technology can produce state-of-the-art results time after time,” Mahil said.
According to Mahil, a focus area that has surfaced throughout the last ten years in the construction industry is the environmental impact of the sector’s general practices. “When establishing Luyten, we were cognisant of the construction industry’s carbon footprint, and determined to create construction solutions for generations to come that reduce emissions.”
“Our unmatched technology employs up to 40% less carbon dioxide emissions through proprietary mixes that reduce use of cement, and the robotic systems reduce construction site and logistics carbon dioxide footprints by 50 to 70%,” Mahil concluded.
