United Kingdom-based office For Everyday.Life (FEL) is one of the three selected winners for the Open Category of ICON’s Initiative 99, an open competition aiming to promote affordable home designs that can be built for under $99,000 employing ICON’s 3D printing technologies. FEL’s project, titled “Housing Salinas,” focuses on community living while applying principles of long-term sustainability, and social and environmental responsibility.
The Salinas region in Puerto Rico is particularly vulnerable due to the recurrent hurricane threats, one example being the 2017 Hurricane Maria, which led to the displacement of 135,000 individuals, with Salinas being particularly hard hit. FEL chose this location to propose rebuilding efforts using 3D printing technologies. In addition to its economic challenges, the presence of a decommissioned coal power plant presented an opportunity for implementing long-term regenerative solutions to replace the outdated infrastructure and increase support for local communities.
The proposed solution by FEL is designed to be adaptable, evolving to meet changing needs and shifting community dynamics. This innovative approach focuses on providing small-footprint, high-volume housing, challenging traditional perceptions of affordability in this housing type. By carefully managing costs through a reduced footprint, the solution ensures that quality and living experience are not compromised, offering a sustainable and economical option for the displaced population.
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Beta Realities Creates 3D Printed Social Housing System for ICON Technologies' Initiative99The housing units are integrated with the local landscape through their use of color, texture, and materials. Rewilding efforts contribute to this integration, as each unit is arranged to form diverse courtyard spaces, connected for communal use yet providing privacy when required. Large, high-level windows allow ample natural light to flood the interiors without compromising privacy, creating bright, spacious living areas that significantly differ from typical temporary housing solutions seen after natural disasters.
The Housing Salinas project highlights our commitment to creating a vibrant and sustainable solution that could be measured against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The ambition is to provide more than just houses; there is an aspiration to cultivate a harmonious living environment that prioritizes social inclusivity, environmental responsibility, and economic prosperity. - Jorge Mendez-Caceres, Co-Founder at FEL
Two other winners have been announced for the Open Category of ICON’s Initiative 99, qualifying all three projects to advance to the second phase, where the final concept will be built and featured in ICON’s CODEX, a digital catalog of ready-to-print houses. Among the winners, New Zealand-based office MTspace Studio proposes a robust flood-resistant design, in response to the housing crisis in New Zealand’s flood zones. Additionally, German-based architecture studio Beta Realities, one of the offices recognized as part of ArchDaily's 2023 New Practices, focused on creating a user-friendly kit of parts to encourage a participatory design process.
