KERRY, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THIS. THIS IS PRETTY COOL. >> Reporter: WELL, GOOD MORNING, GUYS. LOOK, YOU PROBABLY HAVE ONE OF THESE, A HOME PRINTER. BUT WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO SEE IS A HOME PRINTER. YOU ARE WITNESSING WHAT MAY BE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN HOME CONSTRUCTION. THAT IS A GIANT 3D PRINTER AND IT'S SPITTING OUT THE WALLS OF A BRAND-NEW HOUSE. JUST TWO MEN, ONE WITH A TABLET BUILDING, OR SHALL WE SAY PRINTING A HOUSE, VERSUS TRADITIONAL BUILDING METHODS, WHICH WOULD TYPICALLY REQUIRE A DOZEN SET OF HANDS. THIS IS THE WAY OF THE FUTURE. THIS WILL BECOME MAINSTREAM, WIDESPREAD. >> Reporter: AND DUCK, SERIOUSLY. THERE YOU GO. >> NO, DUCK! >> Reporter: THE PRINTERS NOZZLE LAYERS THE WALLS WITH A CONCRETE TYPE MIXTURE. COMPUTER GUIDED CONSTRUCTION, WHICH IS MORE PRECISE THAN A PASTRY CHEF'S SKILLED HANDS, DECORATING A CUPCAKE. FEELS A LITTLE BIT LIKE PLAY-DOH. HOW QUICKLY DOES IT HARDEN? >> QUICKLY ENOUGH TO STACK ON TOP OF IT. IT HAS TO STAY FLOWABLE ENOUGH TO GET TO THE PRINTER BECAUSE IT HAS TO HARDEN ENOUGH TO STACK ON TOP OF IT. >> Reporter: PERHAPS MOST SIGNIFICANTLY WHAT WOULD TAKE A CONSTRUCTION CREW TEN MONTHS TO BUILD IS NOW ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT NAILS IN HALF THE TIME. THIS MAY SOUND LIKE A NOVEL EXPERIMENT. IT'S SO MUCH MORE. IN THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY IN THIS 1,000 ACRE SUBDIVISION THEY ARE BUILDING 100 HOMES LIKE THIS, A PLACE THAT SOMEDAY MAY BE KNOWN AS A SPOT THAT HOME CONSTRUCTION CHANGED FOREVER. TO BEST UNDERSTAND THE SEA CHANGE HAPPENING IN GEORGETOWN, TEXAS, CONSIDER ONE OF THE LARGEST HOME BUILDERS IN THE UNITED STATES HAS TEAMED WITH THE INVENTORS OF THIS GIANT PRINTER. AN AUSTIN-BASED TECH COMPANY CALLED ICON. >> I BELIEVE WE ARE ON THE BRINK OF DOING SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL. SOMETHING INNOVATIVE. NO ONE HAS BUILT 100 HOMES WITH 3D PRINTERS. >> Reporter: IT'S SO UNUSUAL. 3D PRINTING A HOUSE? >> I KNOW IT SOUNDS UNUSUAL. THIS TECHNOLOGY HAS EXISTED FOR A WHILE. >> Reporter: ONE THE BRAINS BEHIND THIS TECH THAT ALLOWS FOR WALLS THAT ARE CURVED, EVEN WAVY IF YOU WANT, AND AT THE SAME TIME ARE SO CREDIBLY SOLID. SO THAT MEANS SOMETHING LIKE THIS CAN WITHSTAND POTENTIALLY -- >> HURRICANES, IS AN INTERESTING USE CASE. WE ARE BUILDING HOUSES ON THE TEXAS GULF COAST THINKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE DURABILITY OF THE CONCRETE MATERIAL. >> Reporter: IF ALL OF THIS SOUNDS OUT OF THIS WORLD, LIKE SOMETHING FROM THE JETSONS, THEN YOU ARE ON TO SOMETHING BECAUSE -- >> THREE, TWO, ONE. >> Reporter: NASA, WHICH JUST LAUNCHED ARTEMIS TO ORBIT THE MOON THIS WEEK, IS WORKING WITH ICON. >> WE WERE PLANNING ON PUTTING A 3D ON THE MOON WITH NASA. >> Reporter: AND BEYOND? >> THAT'S THE HOPE. >> Reporter: MARS? >> THAT'S THE DREAM, MARS. >> Reporter: SOMEDAY PRINTED HOMES UP THERE. BUT FIRST, HERE ON EARTH, THE TEST HOMES HAVE SHOWN THEY ARE MORE ENERGY-EFFICIENT AND USUALLY QUIET. THE WALLS, THEY FEEL A LITTLE BIT LIKE CORDUROY. A PRINTED HOUSE. WHAT MAY BE ONE DAY FUTURE GENERATIONS WILL FIND COMMON PLACE. >> MY SON IS 15 MONTHS OLD HE. >> Reporter: /* OICHLTD. >> Reporter: THERE HAD BE ROUTINE IN WHEN IS HE IS GIVE 15 YEARS OLD? >> IF IT IS, WE SUCCEEDED. >> Reporter: I THINK WE HAVE JUST GLIMPSED THE FUTURE. >> THAT WAS FASCINATING. >> HERE IS A QUESTION, KERRY. YOU KNOW, THE TECHNOLOGY AND THE COOL FACTOR NOTWITHSTANDING, A LOT OF FOLKS ARE WONDERING, LIKE, WHAT ABOUT PEOPLE WHO WORK IN THIS INDUSTRY? IS THIS GOING TO LEAD TO FOLKS WHO DON'T HAVE JOBS? >> Reporter: YOU KNOW, I PUT THAT QUESTION TO ICON, THE INVENTORS HERE, AND THEY POINTED OUT AND ANYBODY WHO HAS DONE CONSTRUCTION, EVEN A SMALL JOB AROUND THE HOUSE KNOWS THIS, THERE IS A SHORTAGE IN THIS COUNTRY OF FOLKS TO DO THAT CONSTRUCTION WORK. AND SO THAT'S PART OF THE REASON WE HAVE MORE THAN 5 MILHOUSES THAT ARE NEEDED BUT ARE NOT BUILT. SO ICON THINKS THIS WILL SUPPLEMENT THAT. THIS WILL NOT PUT PEOPLE OUT OF WORK BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THERE AREN'T ENOUGH PEOPLE TO DO THE JOBS ANYWAY. >> ARE THE HOMES AFFORDABLE? >> Reporter: IT DEPENDS. THEY HAVE ACTUALLY BUILT SOME OF THESE HOMES DOWN FIRST IN MEXICO AND THEY WANTED TO TEST THEM OUT TO SEE HOW THEY WOULD WORK. SO THEY BUILT SMALLER HOMES. THEY CAN BE CHEAPER, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU GO TO SCALE. BUT DOWN THERE IN MEXICO, NOT ONLY DID THEY WITHSTAND SOME FLOODS, BUT HAD A 5.5 SHAKER, YOU KNOW, EARTHQUAKE, AND ROOMS WITHSTOOD THAT. SO, YES, THE HOMES WE SAW THERE IN GEORGETOWN, TEXAS, THEY ARE GOING TO START AROUND THE MID 400s.
