3D Printed Homes with Robert Spiegel

WEBVTT
00:00:00.239 --> 00:00:07.599
We are currently printing the first 3D printed affordable attainable subdivision in North America.
00:00:07.759 --> 00:00:11.039
It's being built in Houston and we're printing those walls.
00:00:11.119 --> 00:00:15.439
We printed the first two houses each in five days.
00:00:23.600 --> 00:00:24.719
That is our choice.
00:00:25.039 --> 00:00:27.600
So when shift happens, it is our choice.
00:00:27.760 --> 00:00:31.839
Either we let shift happen or we can make shift happen.
00:00:35.679 --> 00:00:38.880
Hey everyone, welcome back to another episode of Talk and Shift.
00:00:38.960 --> 00:00:45.840
And you know, this is going to be a really, really interesting, and I'm going to ask everybody, put your lens of curiosity on.
00:00:46.079 --> 00:00:53.039
We're here with Robert Spiegel, Chief Development Officer for Hive Assembled 3D Printed Homes.
00:00:53.280 --> 00:00:54.960
Now Robert and I met at a recent conference.
00:00:55.439 --> 00:00:58.640
We're at the Ford conference here in Las Vegas just a couple weeks ago.
00:00:58.799 --> 00:01:02.880
And Robert and I met actually walking into the mastermind group that we both joined.
00:01:02.960 --> 00:01:07.599
And as you know, Robert was telling me about that he's involved with 3D printed homes.
00:01:07.840 --> 00:01:09.040
And Robert, how do you remember?
00:01:09.120 --> 00:01:29.680
I kind of like lit up and really, you know, sort of, you know, became very, very curious because, and this is why I want you on this podcast, because I truly believe, like I believe that the 3D printed home is part of the solutions for affordable housing in this country, resource management, durability, so many other things.
00:01:29.840 --> 00:01:39.680
And the more I sort of learn about it, I really think we need to, we, we need more attention to the 3D printed home and you know, and make it this part of our housing future, if you will.
00:01:39.840 --> 00:01:42.000
So, you know, first of all, Robert, welcome to the show, man.
00:01:42.079 --> 00:01:42.959
I'm so happy you're here, man.
00:01:43.120 --> 00:01:43.280
Thank you.
00:01:43.439 --> 00:01:44.159
Welcome to talking to you.
00:01:45.120 --> 00:01:48.640
Hey, we get to talk about things I really like, so I'm glad to be here.
00:01:48.879 --> 00:01:49.280
Well, good.
00:01:49.359 --> 00:01:53.840
Well, if we can add barbecueing, mountain biking, and kayaking, then we'll, you know, we'll share even more interest.
00:01:54.319 --> 00:01:55.840
Okay, even more to talk about.
00:01:56.079 --> 00:01:56.959
Yeah, exactly.
00:01:57.120 --> 00:01:57.439
All right.
00:01:57.519 --> 00:01:59.040
Well, let's, you know, let's get into it.
00:01:59.200 --> 00:02:01.200
So 3D printed homes.
00:02:01.359 --> 00:02:04.400
Okay, but what is a 3D printed home?
00:02:04.480 --> 00:02:06.079
Can you explain that, please?
00:02:06.480 --> 00:02:08.400
So the easiest way is to show.
00:02:08.479 --> 00:02:15.280
I'm going to share my screen here really quickly, but I'm a bit of a tech tard, so let's just see what happens.
00:02:15.439 --> 00:02:16.719
Okay, can we see this?
00:02:16.960 --> 00:02:17.840
I see it, yeah.
00:02:18.080 --> 00:02:23.439
Okay, so essentially what we're doing is we're 3D printing walls using robotic arms.
00:02:23.599 --> 00:02:26.479
This robot that you see here, this is obviously not real speed.
00:02:26.560 --> 00:02:28.080
We've sped this up a lot.
00:02:28.240 --> 00:02:30.560
Um, but this is concrete.
00:02:30.800 --> 00:02:39.599
And so we print the structural systems of a house, the walls of a home, with these concrete walls using automation, these robots.
00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:46.400
The idea behind it is we get more efficient and more cost effective because obviously we are using robotics.
00:02:46.719 --> 00:02:55.439
We also build better, stronger structures that are resilient to, you know, pests and fires and hurricanes and everything.
00:02:55.599 --> 00:03:01.039
Um, so what we're doing is printing, you know, these are homes that we actually have under construction right now.
00:03:01.759 --> 00:03:06.639
Our charter is in affordable housing, what we call attainable housing.
00:03:06.879 --> 00:03:12.400
Um, the idea here is that through robotics, we've got to bring the cost down.
00:03:12.800 --> 00:03:18.000
Um, and and obviously everybody probably listening to this knows that we're in a housing crisis.
00:03:18.080 --> 00:03:19.919
We've got a lot of problems we've got to solve.
00:03:20.159 --> 00:03:23.599
This is what we believe is part of the solution.
00:03:24.159 --> 00:03:24.960
I love that.
00:03:25.039 --> 00:03:36.479
And and you know, for you guys watching on YouTube, and if you're not watching it on YouTube, you should, because Robert's playing some videos of the actual home being 3D printed, if you will, you know, the the concrete being laid.
00:03:36.560 --> 00:03:44.719
And if you're listening to this, you know, what I mean, and you have interesting patterns on here, but I mean, like the finished product is a beautiful home.
00:03:44.960 --> 00:03:46.159
Yeah, of course.
00:03:46.400 --> 00:03:54.159
The issue in 3D printing is if you in the in the world right now, if you go Google it, you see lots of AI imagery that's really weird.
00:03:54.240 --> 00:03:56.639
And it's hard to decipher, like, oh, that's AI.
00:03:56.719 --> 00:03:58.560
Nobody's actually built that house.
00:03:58.800 --> 00:04:06.240
Um, and so we we struggle with that, but no, we're able to build a house that looks like just about anything you design it to look like.
00:04:06.479 --> 00:04:15.199
What's cool is that doing an interesting design or doing, like, for example, this video, the radius walls where they have a curve, you know, doing things like that don't have additional cost.
00:04:15.360 --> 00:04:25.360
Whereas out of traditional construction methods like frame, you know, you've got to get a craftsman to get that right, to get that, you know, that arched wall correct, or it's gonna be kind of janky looking.
00:04:25.680 --> 00:04:31.519
Well, so let's talk a little bit about like um like the structural integrity of a 3D printed home.
00:04:31.759 --> 00:04:33.839
Why, you know, why is this better?
00:04:33.920 --> 00:04:49.439
And I mean, you know, not to be like duh, you know, concrete versus wood, but from resource management, durability, obviously, you know, we hear more about fires over here in California and throughout so much of you know North America, you know, hurricanes, flooding.
00:04:49.519 --> 00:05:00.720
I mean, it seems like, and maybe it's just, you know, because we have more media in our face, but it just seems like we have more natural disaster type of elements that homes are getting wrecked by now more than ever.
00:05:00.959 --> 00:05:10.959
So again, another sort of reason why the 3D printed home goes beyond even home, you know, obtainability, affordability, but also just durability, if you will.
00:05:11.120 --> 00:05:19.360
Can you talk a little bit about like sort of like this this the structural integrity, you know, just anything about you know the makeup of the home.
00:05:19.759 --> 00:05:22.720
Yeah, so these walls are what's called mass walls.
00:05:22.959 --> 00:05:25.680
They're um they're solid concrete.
00:05:25.839 --> 00:05:29.040
So essentially you're seeing a form printed on most of these videos.
00:05:29.120 --> 00:05:31.439
That's the layering with the robot.
00:05:31.759 --> 00:05:36.079
Then these walls are backfilled with a lightweight concrete mixture.
00:05:36.240 --> 00:05:38.000
So you end up with solid walls.
00:05:38.079 --> 00:05:46.079
That's how you become resilient to pests and fire and mold and mildew because there's just nowhere for any of that to grow.
00:05:46.319 --> 00:05:55.279
Um, what we also have done, we spent a lot of money and time early on developing our own mortar.
00:05:55.439 --> 00:06:00.639
Um, in the 3D printing world, commercially available mortar is expensive.
00:06:00.800 --> 00:06:03.279
It's five to seven hundred dollars a ton.
00:06:03.680 --> 00:06:08.160
Our materials right now are running about 180 a ton as of this morning.
00:06:08.240 --> 00:06:15.519
So that's able to get us, you know, to be able, we could we're able to produce a structure that is a more affordable price point.
00:06:15.920 --> 00:06:28.639
Um, and and the issue, you know, we can all look at robotics and say this is gonna make a difference, but if the material cost makes it more expensive or comparable to a stick frame, the market struggles with it.
00:06:28.879 --> 00:06:33.839
So I've got to be even if I'm a dollar cheaper than a stick frame, I'm okay.
00:06:34.079 --> 00:06:37.199
And turns out we're considerably less than that.
00:06:37.439 --> 00:06:39.439
But I'm a dollar cheaper, I'm great.
00:06:39.600 --> 00:06:43.439
If I'm the exact same price or more, the headwinds are too difficult.
00:06:43.600 --> 00:06:44.879
We learned that the hard way.
00:06:45.120 --> 00:06:47.600
So what we're doing here, we've developed this mortar.
00:06:47.759 --> 00:06:56.560
It's uh got a net zero carbon footprint because we're utilizing fly ash, which is traditionally a material that goes to landfill.
00:06:56.959 --> 00:07:04.959
And now because we're taking it from the landfill and putting it into our mortar mix, we're we're creating structures that also are better for the environment.
00:07:05.199 --> 00:07:06.480
I had an interesting conversation.
00:07:06.560 --> 00:07:11.759
I was meeting with a builder at one of our sites last week, and he said, I noticed there's not a lot of trash here.
00:07:11.839 --> 00:07:14.399
And I said, I knew what he meant, but I was like, What do you mean?
00:07:14.560 --> 00:07:28.079
And he said, um, he said, you know, we're really accustomed to seeing all of the, you know, the insulation packaging, the wood cuts, you know, when you build a framing package for a house, you've got to trim all the edges and get them right.
00:07:28.160 --> 00:07:29.680
And we don't have any of that.
00:07:29.839 --> 00:07:31.439
We don't have that kind of waste.
00:07:31.680 --> 00:07:37.360
We do have some concrete waste, some mortar waste, but we have a recycling company that comes and picks it up for free.
00:07:37.439 --> 00:07:38.480
We don't even have to pay them.
00:07:38.560 --> 00:07:40.560
They take it and recycle the material.
00:07:40.879 --> 00:07:44.319
So it's a different way of looking at structures.
00:07:44.399 --> 00:07:56.560
It's also a different type of structure because if you've ever spent time in Europe or Central or South America, their structures are built like this, you know, with old school methods, brick and concrete, cement block, etc.
00:07:57.199 --> 00:07:58.160
But they're solid.
00:07:58.319 --> 00:08:00.879
You close a door, the the door is solid.
00:08:01.120 --> 00:08:10.240
Um, we unfortunately in North America started building cheaper structures, and just because you built a cheap house doesn't mean it's a good house.
00:08:11.040 --> 00:08:11.360
Sure.
00:08:11.519 --> 00:08:18.480
I think we've all been seeing that, especially with a lot of these subdivisions that just get thrown up by builders, and I get it because we're trying to keep costs down.
00:08:18.720 --> 00:08:22.160
But what happens in 10, 15 years, they start falling up.
00:08:22.560 --> 00:08:23.839
Not even 15, 5.
00:08:24.240 --> 00:08:31.519
We've got a there's a a subdivision we've had laid eyes on because a very well-known builder, you know, popularized it.
00:08:31.600 --> 00:08:37.120
There, you know, they were selling homes at this price point that was just impossible in that market$180,000,$190,000.
00:08:37.600 --> 00:08:39.519
Those homes are now four and five years old.
00:08:39.600 --> 00:08:41.600
And if you drive through that subdivision, it's terrible.
00:08:41.759 --> 00:08:42.960
They're all falling apart.
00:08:43.200 --> 00:08:43.440
Yeah.
00:08:43.759 --> 00:08:48.320
So the idea here is like, you know, again, concrete housing, less maintenance.
00:08:48.399 --> 00:08:50.080
I had somebody say to me, Well, no maintenance.
00:08:50.159 --> 00:09:04.240
Like, there's nothing out there that has no maintenance, but this is way less maintenance because you're not worried about your, you know, hardy board siding falling off the house or your kid riding his bicycle into the wall and punching a hole in the wall.
00:09:04.399 --> 00:09:06.480
Like it just doesn't happen on these structures.
00:09:06.639 --> 00:09:13.840
Uh so on the on the inside, so you know, I see I we see the 3D printed home, you know, and we're laying the concrete, the mortar, I should say.
00:09:14.080 --> 00:09:19.120
And then is it is it drywalled on the inside, or you still keep the um the theory?
00:09:19.279 --> 00:09:25.759
We would prefer not to, because that's a waste of money, and drywalling creates a cavity, which then leaves you susceptible to things.
00:09:26.240 --> 00:09:29.120
Um, drywall itself, you know, let's call drywall what it is.
00:09:29.200 --> 00:09:29.919
It's paper.
00:09:30.159 --> 00:09:35.360
Now, let's just say, so, like, for example, this video, you can see this house, it's got the layering exposed.
00:09:35.519 --> 00:09:36.320
I'm a purist.
00:09:36.399 --> 00:09:36.960
I like this.
00:09:37.039 --> 00:09:38.799
I think it's actually a great look.
00:09:39.120 --> 00:09:41.679
Uh, but there are people who say, I don't want to see that layering.
00:09:41.919 --> 00:09:42.639
I uh whatever.
00:09:42.799 --> 00:09:44.080
So we plaster over it.
00:09:44.159 --> 00:09:45.200
It's additional cost.
00:09:45.600 --> 00:09:46.480
Oh, gotcha, gotcha.
00:09:46.559 --> 00:09:46.720
Okay.
00:09:46.879 --> 00:09:51.360
You could just plot you could put a stucco or a plaster finish on this, and it's flat walls.
00:09:51.679 --> 00:09:53.759
Well, I mean, I like this look too, right?
00:09:53.840 --> 00:09:58.000
And for everybody, you know, if you're not if you're not seeing it on the video right now, it's just a textured wall, really.
00:09:58.159 --> 00:10:02.159
But because I did see some other video on here where it did look like a flat wall, and that's what that was my question.
00:10:02.240 --> 00:10:03.039
So that's a plaster.
00:10:03.519 --> 00:10:04.080
That's plaster.
00:10:04.559 --> 00:10:05.440
These are beautiful homes.
00:10:05.519 --> 00:10:09.360
These are modern, beautiful, architecturally designed homes.
00:10:09.600 --> 00:10:10.000
Yep.
00:10:10.159 --> 00:10:10.320
Okay.
00:10:10.559 --> 00:10:12.879
So now what happened?
00:10:13.200 --> 00:10:16.399
So we've got plumbing and we've got wiring inside the wall.
00:10:16.559 --> 00:10:18.720
What do we do to need access to that?
00:10:19.120 --> 00:10:24.320
So it depends on where we're building and what the municipality requires.
00:10:24.639 --> 00:10:33.279
So oftentimes the utilities, the you know, mechanicals, let's call them, are in that wall and they're in a designated area.
00:10:33.360 --> 00:10:37.519
And if you need access to them, you're gonna chisel out some concrete and and have access.
00:10:37.759 --> 00:10:45.279
Or in some cases, they're actually in their own channel with a cover and the cover lifts off, and there's all your access.
00:10:45.600 --> 00:10:48.320
Uh it really depends on design.
00:10:48.399 --> 00:10:53.039
You know, the biggest problem with electrical, people say, well, what happens if the line goes out?
00:10:53.200 --> 00:10:58.559
Well, the issue with a line going out in a traditional built home is because an animal chewed through it.
00:10:59.200 --> 00:11:00.960
Animals don't get in these walls.
00:11:01.039 --> 00:11:01.919
They're solid.
00:11:02.159 --> 00:11:06.240
So once electrical is encapsulated, you don't really have that issue.
00:11:06.399 --> 00:11:18.960
Um, and similar with the plumbing, you know, that the PEX engineers have kind of said that once you encapsulate that line, it's, you know, it's not like an animal's gonna chew through it, which is typically their biggest failure.
00:11:19.200 --> 00:11:25.759
PEX piping, for example, I think is designed, and don't quote me on this, but it's designed to expand to like 10 times its normal size.
00:11:26.159 --> 00:11:29.039
Uh you know, if it freezes or whatnot.
00:11:29.200 --> 00:11:39.440
And so with the modern advent of more, let's call it better material to build with, um, we're much less concerned about those kinds of failures.
00:11:39.600 --> 00:11:40.799
But you still have access.
00:11:41.200 --> 00:11:41.519
Yeah.
00:11:41.840 --> 00:11:44.000
Well, and I mean, of course, right?
00:11:44.159 --> 00:11:47.759
And and I can understand that, you know, it's also probably creating better strength.
00:11:47.919 --> 00:11:49.840
I mean, however, it's encapsulated in all.
00:11:49.919 --> 00:11:51.919
And, you know, so um Absolutely.
00:11:52.080 --> 00:11:53.279
Well, you never and you never know.
00:11:53.440 --> 00:12:05.600
We like to say, look, it, you know, the typical peril that destroys things like water, you know, pipes breaking, whatnot, when they're encapsulated, you kind of remove a lot of that risk, but you never know what could something could always happen.
00:12:06.000 --> 00:12:09.840
So, okay, so now tell me, like, okay, so you guys are out here in your 3D printing homes.
00:12:09.919 --> 00:12:16.480
What I mean, I don't know if the word average is right, but give me an idea of like a typical, you know, what's the size of a typical home?
00:12:16.559 --> 00:12:19.039
What's your cost per square foot or so?
00:12:19.200 --> 00:12:22.159
I mean, what are you seeing from the actual like finished product?
00:12:22.240 --> 00:12:23.919
And you know, talk a little bit about that.
00:12:24.240 --> 00:12:26.080
So we're hired by a builder.
00:12:26.240 --> 00:12:30.320
We're a builder partner, basically like uh any other subcontractor.
00:12:30.480 --> 00:12:34.799
They would hire us to come in and do the framing in the wall system, essentially.
00:12:34.960 --> 00:12:39.200
We replace about nine trades inside of our singular system.
00:12:39.360 --> 00:12:45.519
You don't need a sheetrock guy, you're not doing tape and float, you're not doing insulation because that's all in our system.
00:12:45.759 --> 00:12:48.799
You know, so we eliminate a lot of those pieces.
00:12:49.279 --> 00:12:55.200
What as far as strength goes, um, wait, what was the question?
00:12:55.279 --> 00:12:56.159
I got distracted.
00:12:56.240 --> 00:12:56.799
This is what happened.
00:12:57.039 --> 00:12:59.919
No, that's again, and I'm watching the video too as we go, right?
00:13:00.000 --> 00:13:01.039
It's it's like interesting.
00:13:01.279 --> 00:13:07.200
Now, like what is like typical size of the home you're building, a cost per square foot.
00:13:07.360 --> 00:13:12.320
You know, I mean, tell me, tell me like in comparison to a comparable traditional stick-built home.
00:13:12.399 --> 00:13:13.840
How is this comparing?
00:13:14.480 --> 00:13:16.080
So difficult to talk about it.
00:13:16.159 --> 00:13:19.600
Well, let me talk about it in in like, let's talk about it in my market.
00:13:19.679 --> 00:13:24.799
We're based in Texas, although we have partners now in a bunch of different states and now a couple of different countries.
00:13:25.200 --> 00:13:35.440
Um cost-wise, we're about 8 to 11% cheaper than the comparable system you would need in a cheaply built entry-level home.
00:13:35.600 --> 00:13:43.519
When you go to higher cost markets, let's pick California, for example, or Florida, where traditional cheap wood-built structures are not allowed.
00:13:43.600 --> 00:13:54.720
They don't pass the basic building requirements, and you have to go to a better build quality, whether that's thicker timber, or you have to go block or you know, full masonry, something like that.
00:13:54.960 --> 00:14:00.159
We get into the 25 to 35% less expensive um cost.
00:14:01.200 --> 00:14:02.799
So it really depends.
00:14:02.960 --> 00:14:09.120
Now, I we've been working on a state, a southern state that I'm not going to talk about because I have some insider intel.
00:14:09.200 --> 00:14:12.399
We're not going to talk about the name of the state, but it's a state that everybody's heard of.
00:14:12.480 --> 00:14:16.720
And I would have assumed that housing traditional homes there were crazy cheap.
00:14:16.960 --> 00:14:23.360
What I actually found out is that traditional homes there are crazy expensive because their labor cost apparently is insane.
00:14:23.600 --> 00:14:26.879
Whereas we're going to make a massive difference in cost.
00:14:27.039 --> 00:14:30.639
We can bring down this cost of these homes that we're looking at building there.
00:14:30.799 --> 00:14:34.879
They're about 1,500 square foot, three-bedroom, two-bath, decent-sized homes.
00:14:35.039 --> 00:14:43.200
We're going to be about 100,000 less than competing properties in the market because I don't require all of that labor.
00:14:43.600 --> 00:14:46.240
Um so it's it's hard to say.
00:14:46.480 --> 00:14:49.200
Now, you the question you asked, typical sizes.
00:14:49.519 --> 00:14:56.320
I've built everything from 400 square feet to we have a 4,700 square foot custom home under construction right now.
00:14:56.799 --> 00:15:01.600
Traditionally speaking, I'm hired by a builder to do our structural system on the site.
00:15:01.840 --> 00:15:06.080
So really, whatever they're willing to hire me for is what I will show up and build.
00:15:06.240 --> 00:15:15.679
And whether that's, you know, entry-level family homes at 1,500 square feet or you know, this custom home that we're getting ready to start building that's 4,700.
00:15:15.759 --> 00:15:20.799
Like I know, you know, not to sound catty, but we like money, so we'll show up.
00:15:21.120 --> 00:15:22.879
We like the 4,700 square foot homes.
00:15:22.960 --> 00:15:27.519
But I mean, again, as I'm seeing some of these, you know, some of these finished products, I mean, these are beautiful homes.
00:15:27.679 --> 00:15:35.279
Like I said, these are modern, these are architectural, these are, you know, and these are homes that is not just sort of like you hear about it, but that's not for me.
00:15:35.360 --> 00:15:38.080
Like I'm looking at this going like, that is for me.
00:15:38.320 --> 00:15:41.679
Like that, you know, and that's why, you know, again, I'm so curious.
00:15:41.759 --> 00:15:58.480
And I and I just think that we really have to get our arms around these 3D printed homes, this concept, not just as a cool thing, but actually like this, I believe this will become part of our, like, this will become the future traditional home, not the stick door.
00:15:58.720 --> 00:15:59.039
I believe.
00:15:59.279 --> 00:16:04.000
It's it's you know, we'd love to say that it's the ultimate solution to the problem, but let's be realistic.
00:16:04.080 --> 00:16:05.120
It's part of the solution.
00:16:05.440 --> 00:16:07.919
There are also other technologies that are out there.
00:16:08.080 --> 00:16:15.519
We are definitely partial to what we're doing because we've we've tested this product, we've experimented, we've we've really seen how it performs.
00:16:15.759 --> 00:16:24.799
We do feel like it it performs well, and that's why we really um we stand behind it and we've obviously spent a lot of time and money scaling.
00:16:24.960 --> 00:16:42.559
But definitely, yeah, it is a part of the solution because look, there is pretty much nowhere in the US right now that is exempt from worse weather, higher insurance costs, fires, weather events, you name it, and even something called daily peril.
00:16:42.960 --> 00:16:51.360
Daily peril is this term that insurance companies use for like, it's not the hurricane, it's the other things that happen to a home.
00:16:51.519 --> 00:17:01.039
For example, your kid is terrible and clogs up the bathtub drain and then leaves the water running and floods the second floor of the house.
00:17:01.360 --> 00:17:03.200
Daily peril is very expensive.
00:17:03.279 --> 00:17:09.680
It represents a large amount of claims, and largely insurance companies would like to eliminate that.
00:17:10.319 --> 00:17:18.240
Don't get me wrong, they also would like to figure out how to eliminate, you know, here's been a hurricane or a flood a fire or whatnot that took a house down.
00:17:18.400 --> 00:17:20.640
But the daily peril is a big annoying thing.
00:17:20.720 --> 00:17:51.519
And our structures, in spite of, you know, storms and termites and all these things that really can't impact negatively our structures, you know, the simple daily peril, the dishwasher overflows, the washing machine explodes, the, you know, in my structures, if something like that happens, you open the door, you push the water out, you let it dry, and you move on with your life, you're not removing 24 inches of sheetrock and insulation, and suddenly the restoration company has to come in and do all their stuff.
00:17:51.599 --> 00:17:55.680
And it's just a very different way of looking at how a home is built.
00:17:56.640 --> 00:17:57.759
And that makes total sense.
00:17:57.839 --> 00:18:03.759
I mean, again, when you start going through and you're like, oh my God, like if you really think about it, it's like pro, pro, pro, pro, pro.
00:18:04.319 --> 00:18:06.160
But what are some of the cons?
00:18:06.319 --> 00:18:09.599
What are what are limitations that you're running up against right now?
00:18:10.000 --> 00:18:15.119
I have an argument for almost anything somebody can throw at me, but the one I don't that is not great.
00:18:15.359 --> 00:18:17.440
So these are indestructible houses.
00:18:17.839 --> 00:18:21.680
What is really problematic with an indestructible house is when you want to renovate.
00:18:21.920 --> 00:18:22.640
Yeah, sure.
00:18:23.119 --> 00:18:32.079
So it is not impossible, but let's just say you built a house as 1800 square feet, your family's grown, you now want to expand it, you want to move some walls on the interior.
00:18:32.240 --> 00:18:45.200
It's not impossible, but this is not like a wood frame structure where you knock out the wall and you shore it up with some beams and you move all the walls around, and it's easy to kind of play Tetris with the interior structure.
00:18:45.359 --> 00:18:47.839
These structures, it that is, it's not that easy.
00:18:48.000 --> 00:18:50.160
These walls are solid concrete, they're very heavy.
00:18:50.319 --> 00:18:55.119
Removing them, which is possible, is a lot of material and a lot of time to get rid of them.
00:18:55.359 --> 00:19:00.160
It's not like knocking out some wood frame and some sheetrock and carrying it out the front door.
00:19:00.400 --> 00:19:05.119
So, you know, that is one of the arguments that you you really have to look at.
00:19:05.279 --> 00:19:08.559
You know, future expansion is is more difficult.
00:19:08.799 --> 00:19:12.000
And making changes later on, it's it's messier.
00:19:12.160 --> 00:19:22.720
So that's kind of the that's what we always have to talk about with people is like make sure you're designing these houses so that they are future-proof and they can house you for a while, uh, for at least a long enough time period.
00:19:22.960 --> 00:19:28.000
Unlike, you know, like, oh, we don't like this kitchen layout, you know, maybe we'll change it later.
00:19:28.160 --> 00:19:30.480
Like yeah, not so easy.
00:19:30.720 --> 00:19:31.039
Yeah.
00:19:31.200 --> 00:19:31.519
Yeah.
00:19:31.680 --> 00:19:40.559
Well, and I can understand too, like, if I'm an architect thinking about this in mind, you know, in terms of future-proof, and there's there's probably considerations that, hey, maybe we're gonna have a more open floor plan.
00:19:40.880 --> 00:19:49.119
We could always do some internal, you know, even if you do add some stick-built, you know, um walls internally, you can always take out, but it hadn't an open floor plan.
00:19:49.279 --> 00:19:51.759
You know, there's there's solutions I could see in terms of that.
00:19:52.480 --> 00:20:01.200
It's just a different way of, you know, this idea that, you know, when you have a wood-framed house with sheetrock on the walls, you know, moving walls isn't that big a deal.
00:20:01.359 --> 00:20:08.000
Cutting open a whole, you know, we're gonna open up this dining room to this living room, you know, and removing that wall is not that big a deal.
00:20:08.160 --> 00:20:15.440
Well, when it's concrete housing, it's that's a lot, that's a thick, like a 10 or a 12-inch thick solid wall you've got to cut through.
00:20:15.599 --> 00:20:15.920
Yeah.
00:20:16.480 --> 00:20:19.440
And while I say not impossible, just different.
00:20:19.759 --> 00:20:20.640
Not ideal.
00:20:20.880 --> 00:20:21.119
No.
00:20:21.359 --> 00:20:21.920
Not ideal.
00:20:22.480 --> 00:20:31.440
And then okay, so how about like the acceptance with within the states, the regulations, certainly, you know, financing and that and that sort of thing.
00:20:31.519 --> 00:20:32.400
What do you what do you have?
00:20:33.920 --> 00:20:35.680
Acceptance is happening more and more.
00:20:35.839 --> 00:20:39.200
When we started doing this four years ago, it was difficult.
00:20:39.359 --> 00:20:43.519
People were just they you said 3D printing and robotics and people's heads exploded.
00:20:43.599 --> 00:20:44.319
They had no idea.
00:20:44.559 --> 00:20:48.960
Most people now, if they're on the internet and they have social media, they've seen something.
00:20:49.039 --> 00:20:54.400
They may not fully understand it, but at least if we say 3D printed, they don't go, oh, what it that can't work.
00:20:54.559 --> 00:20:54.720
Yeah.
00:20:54.880 --> 00:20:56.400
Which is what we got four years ago.
00:20:56.559 --> 00:20:57.039
Yeah.
00:20:58.480 --> 00:21:01.440
In Texas, where we're based, we started here.
00:21:01.759 --> 00:21:07.920
Um, the originally, the cities really struggled, the municipalities, the permitting departments, they really struggled with it.
00:21:08.079 --> 00:21:14.079
We learned the hard way that we had to stop talking about 3D printing and we had to start describing them as solid concrete housing.
00:21:14.480 --> 00:21:14.640
Okay.
00:21:14.880 --> 00:21:17.920
And the minute that happened, everybody was like, okay, cool.
00:21:18.079 --> 00:21:33.599
Now the cool thing is that at this point, you go through Texas, any of the major national, any of the major cities, major metros in in Texas, they've all those uh planning departments have all approved a set of plans for at least one 3D printed house, if not more.
00:21:33.759 --> 00:21:36.480
Houston's done, you know, close to 40 at this point.
00:21:36.640 --> 00:21:38.799
Austin's done well over a hundred.
00:21:39.039 --> 00:21:41.920
Dallas has just done its first few.
00:21:42.079 --> 00:21:44.000
Uh, San Antonio has done its first.
00:21:44.240 --> 00:21:45.680
Uh, El Paso has some in.
00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:50.480
Anyway, it's my full-time job to meet with these building departments to make sure that people understand.
00:21:50.880 --> 00:21:52.799
We've also had success in a bunch of other states.
00:21:52.960 --> 00:21:59.839
California has just started approving their um 3D printing there, Florida is the same way, North Carolina, Virginia, a bunch of states.
00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:07.599
So it is the acceptance has really widened, which is great because that was a struggle in the beginning.
00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:08.880
Well, and that makes sense.
00:22:08.960 --> 00:22:32.000
I mean, we're we're also we're going against a curve right here, and I don't know if there's been political and lobbyists and other things that, you know, hey, this threatens a way of life, this threatens a lumber industry, this, you know, and I'm not saying that these homes are necessarily threatening yet, but there could be a future all all of a sudden there is a shift in demand, you know, for for a home like this.
00:22:32.400 --> 00:22:38.559
I think as we scale, as we continue to grow, you know, as we continue to get more efficient, I think that's a possibility.
00:22:38.799 --> 00:22:47.039
But realistically, there's so much demand out there, and and right now, you know, lumber's having a hard time keeping up, steel's having a hard time keeping up.
00:22:47.119 --> 00:22:51.119
So we've got to have another solution to to make a dent.
00:22:51.440 --> 00:23:05.680
And and even when you go look at in the attainable housing sphere, like, I mean, we can't keep there's states, there's municipalities in the US where a cheaply built wood structure is no longer allowed.
00:23:05.920 --> 00:23:13.359
And I hate to say that because we need the affordability, but again We need it for affordability, but we built them and then a storm came and knocked them all down.
00:23:13.440 --> 00:23:20.799
And and five again, five, ten plus years, and all of a sudden now the homeowner is like there's so much maintenance, things are falling apart.
00:23:20.960 --> 00:23:25.119
And then we have shitty neighborhoods, and then we have, you know, so there is a compound effect.
00:23:25.440 --> 00:23:28.000
But then you have a a product that can't be insured.
00:23:28.079 --> 00:23:33.599
You have insurance carriers that have fully exited markets, whereas our product makes them actually show back up again.
00:23:33.839 --> 00:23:37.759
Like you're not as susceptible to 100 mile per hour winds.
00:23:37.839 --> 00:23:38.319
No, we're not.
00:23:38.400 --> 00:23:40.319
Okay, well, we'd be we'd consider insuring that.
00:23:40.559 --> 00:23:48.799
By the way, that's a hell that that that there's your selling angle for California right there, because we've seen all so many insurance providers leave the state because of fire.
00:23:48.960 --> 00:23:49.119
Yeah.
00:23:49.279 --> 00:23:51.440
Well, now this is a product that brings them back in.
00:23:51.519 --> 00:23:53.279
That's a that's a huge point right there.
00:23:53.680 --> 00:23:58.640
And that's why California and Florida both, because they've been hit so badly with with peril.
00:23:58.720 --> 00:24:00.799
And listen, we're it we're based in Houston.
00:24:00.880 --> 00:24:04.319
We are we are all too familiar with flooding and hurricanes.
00:24:04.400 --> 00:24:06.960
Uh the Dallas area has had nothing but tornado.
00:24:07.200 --> 00:24:09.119
Every time you sneeze, there's a new tornado there.
00:24:09.359 --> 00:24:10.720
We are really working on right now.
00:24:10.799 --> 00:24:14.079
We have a subdivision under construction uh outside of Houston.
00:24:14.240 --> 00:24:20.319
Those homes are designed to withstand 200 mile per hour winds because they're on the coast, and that's what the builder wanted to do.
00:24:20.640 --> 00:24:22.799
So those are all possibilities.
00:24:22.960 --> 00:24:29.599
Again, when you build with better material, the better materials, I mean, concrete's always been around.
00:24:29.920 --> 00:24:36.880
But we had to figure out a way to take it to a residential structure and make it cost effective, and that's never been achieved before now.
00:24:37.200 --> 00:24:47.759
Well, so tell me a little bit more about that because you did mention that you you originally were at almost 500 plus you know per ton, and now you've gotten that down to about$180 a ton, and you're using recycled material.
00:24:47.839 --> 00:25:10.240
So again, yes, you know, we're talking about obtainability, affordability, we're talking about durability, but you know, also from resource management and you know, so t talk to talk a little bit about, you know, I'm I mean, you know, not that there's a proprietor, well, that you're gonna be giving away something on this podcast that you know we're gonna okay, but tell me a little bit about that material and what you guys are using and what are you guys paying attention to?
00:25:10.319 --> 00:25:11.119
What are you looking at?
00:25:11.279 --> 00:25:18.640
And what like we're doing something now that is future oriented, but what also are you looking at in a future uh yeah?
00:25:19.119 --> 00:25:21.519
We're kind of thinking where I want to take that.
00:25:21.599 --> 00:25:23.920
So I threw like five different questions at you.
00:25:24.240 --> 00:25:24.720
No, no, no.
00:25:24.799 --> 00:25:30.559
And and like there's a I can nerd out on this, and then every listener is gonna be like, whoa, this is so boring.
00:25:30.799 --> 00:25:33.680
Okay, so basics of materials.
00:25:34.160 --> 00:25:38.880
We're number two in the country right now, size-wise, and with finished structures.
00:25:39.039 --> 00:25:43.920
So we're in the 3D printing world, most people in that industry know us.
00:25:44.000 --> 00:25:48.480
So we're being contacted regularly by companies who want us to test their material.
00:25:48.880 --> 00:25:53.519
So we are regul fairly regularly being approached to test a new material.
00:25:53.599 --> 00:26:02.000
We have, of course, our proprietary product, which now other companies buy, other 3D printing companies now buy from us because the product ultimately works.
00:26:02.160 --> 00:26:16.559
And at that cost, at that price point, you're crazy competitive with, you know, less expensive than this list of really good structures, but now crazy price competitive with these horribly built structures, with actually something that's good.
00:26:17.359 --> 00:26:23.680
We're constantly looking at at materials because that is the biggest cost factor in our setup.
00:26:24.240 --> 00:26:33.279
If if the material goes up, just like a house built out of lumber, if lumber doubles in cost, suddenly now we're looking at a house that has to be priced significantly more.
00:26:33.440 --> 00:26:46.400
As far as the environmental concerns go, you know, concrete's wonderful as far as durability, but as far as making traditional concrete, is it's terrible.
00:26:46.559 --> 00:26:52.079
Like it's not a very environmentally friendly situation as a very large carbon footprint.
00:26:52.559 --> 00:26:56.799
We end up with a net zero carbon footprint because of the fly ash aspect.
00:26:57.039 --> 00:27:01.599
So that's very uh it's an offshoot of the coal industry.
00:27:01.759 --> 00:27:04.400
So basically it's the waste of coal.
00:27:04.559 --> 00:27:06.160
So we're utilizing that.
00:27:06.319 --> 00:27:13.359
It it's also the basics of uh a type of cement called Pozzolonics, which have been around since Roman times.
00:27:13.440 --> 00:27:14.880
It's thousands of years old.
00:27:14.960 --> 00:27:17.680
So it's not like that's a new material that nobody's ever used.
00:27:17.759 --> 00:27:18.480
No, no, no.
00:27:18.720 --> 00:27:21.359
This material has been around for thousands of years.
00:27:21.440 --> 00:27:29.839
Um, and we've all been to like ancient Rome and see, you know, in Italy and seen these old Roman structures, like those structures lasted forever.
00:27:30.160 --> 00:27:43.599
So, you know, that's kind of the concept here in that materials we're using, and and like I'm, you know, approach all the time, or also it's in my feed all the time on Instagram, like companies that are trying other products.
00:27:43.759 --> 00:27:54.160
And, you know, I hope we all figure out ways to again come up with solutions, product solutions, mortar solutions that build these houses better and cheaper.
00:27:54.559 --> 00:28:04.960
Well, it sounds like you're, I mean, it sounds like from an industry standpoint, it's creating more attraction, which is then is creating more demand, which then is creating more supply to meet that demand, which is then is creating innovation.
00:28:05.119 --> 00:28:11.279
And that's kind of, you know, and that's where I want to touch on next is like what is some of that innovation that you're seeing?
00:28:11.359 --> 00:28:16.400
And again, I realize this is sort of newer and we're applying it now, so we're just excited that we can do this now.
00:28:16.640 --> 00:28:19.519
But what are some of the things you're paying attention to?
00:28:19.680 --> 00:28:22.559
Whether you can do it now or not, like what is a future?
00:28:22.640 --> 00:28:25.359
Like this would be really cool once this happens as well.
00:28:26.160 --> 00:28:30.720
So at some point, not today, at some point the printer can operate on a site by itself.
00:28:30.880 --> 00:28:32.079
It's not ready for that.
00:28:32.240 --> 00:28:32.559
That makes sense.
00:28:32.799 --> 00:28:35.839
So in theory, our printers have the technology to do it.
00:28:36.000 --> 00:28:42.559
We just, you know, for lack of a better word, don't have the balls because I mean it's it's that's not a mistake you want to make.
00:28:42.640 --> 00:28:43.519
That's a costly mistake.
00:28:43.759 --> 00:28:44.400
It's concrete.
00:28:44.480 --> 00:28:53.599
And if something happens, so like little known fact about our material, unlike a lot of other materials and traditional concrete that you'd use for like a driveway.
00:28:53.759 --> 00:28:56.079
My set time is about two and a half minutes.
00:28:56.319 --> 00:28:58.960
So it's hard in two and a half minutes.
00:28:59.200 --> 00:29:03.599
Yeah, not much of it for the nail out and move on.
00:29:03.759 --> 00:29:04.000
No.
00:29:04.319 --> 00:29:04.640
Yeah.
00:29:05.039 --> 00:29:14.480
If the robot has a mistake, if I mean we were mixing we were printing a wall two weeks ago in the shop, and we heard a weird noise in the mixer, and we're like, that's not normal.
00:29:14.640 --> 00:29:20.079
And then we start looking, and then the the wall, the printing layering, it gets messed up, and something's wrong.
00:29:20.240 --> 00:29:25.200
And we can tell two nails were in the mix, in the mortar mix.
00:29:25.279 --> 00:29:31.279
Like, I don't know how they got there, I don't know where they came from, but all havoc ensues shortly thereafter.
00:29:31.359 --> 00:29:38.559
We have two and a half minutes to clean out the pump, clean out the hoses, get all that material out of it before it hardens.
00:29:38.720 --> 00:29:44.559
Otherwise, we're throwing away hoses, chipping it out of all the machinery, and a day is lost.
00:29:44.720 --> 00:29:46.160
It is not pleasant.
00:29:46.400 --> 00:29:54.640
So, the future, you know, we've developed an AI software and a 3D reality vision software that we use.
00:29:54.720 --> 00:30:01.039
It does a lot of the error correction so that when they're we're eliminating the problems so we don't waste material.
00:30:01.279 --> 00:30:03.279
You know, we're really watching a lot of the tech.
00:30:03.359 --> 00:30:06.160
A lot of our revenue is spent on the RD side.
00:30:06.319 --> 00:30:08.079
We've developed our own printers.
00:30:08.240 --> 00:30:11.599
We have a new version 4.0 printer, which is it's called our maxi.
00:30:12.000 --> 00:30:16.480
It's a smaller printer, smaller format printer, so that it can get into smaller spaces.
00:30:16.640 --> 00:30:23.359
It can also be lifted onto like a second, third, fourth floor relatively easily.
00:30:23.599 --> 00:30:29.920
Whereas my the printer that you saw, that's a version two printer, the version two printer weighs 8,000 pounds.
00:30:30.000 --> 00:30:32.640
It's not being lifted anywhere easily.
00:30:33.440 --> 00:30:38.880
So we're constantly looking at a lot of people think, oh, it's the robots and it's so cool.
00:30:39.200 --> 00:30:48.799
Bigger part of our job is future vision, seeing the future, but also the material sciences is constantly getting this material dialed in so that it's right.
00:30:48.880 --> 00:30:55.039
And, you know, we print an average wall in let's call it 40 to 42 minutes, depending on the size of the wall.
00:30:55.359 --> 00:31:01.599
And that means that each machine should be able to do five to seven per day in a perfectly opportune environment.
00:31:02.799 --> 00:31:04.240
And that's what we're trying to achieve.
00:31:04.400 --> 00:31:06.559
Five to seven walls every single day.
00:31:07.359 --> 00:31:08.000
Per printer.
00:31:08.640 --> 00:31:09.279
Per printer.
00:31:09.359 --> 00:31:21.359
Okay, so average build time, you know, for let's just say a 2,000 square foot home, or you tell me what like an like an average, you know, to walk me through kind of the build process, build time, that sort of thing.
00:31:21.599 --> 00:31:22.240
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:31:22.319 --> 00:31:28.799
We just I just actually ran the numbers the other day because we have a 1,800 square foot home that we're building, we're getting ready to build.
00:31:28.960 --> 00:31:30.480
We're gonna build like 14 of them.
00:31:30.720 --> 00:31:33.039
They are about 27 walls.
00:31:33.279 --> 00:31:35.920
Let's just say we do five walls per day.
00:31:36.079 --> 00:31:38.400
We'll have that house printed in five to six days.
00:31:38.480 --> 00:31:39.759
Now that's not setup time.
00:31:39.839 --> 00:31:41.599
There's a little bit of setup time on the front end.
00:31:41.759 --> 00:31:45.359
There's obviously time if you know the machine messes up and we need to start over.
00:31:45.519 --> 00:31:50.799
And then, of course, we're gonna put all the mechanical electrical plumbing in the wall and then another day to backfill.
00:31:50.880 --> 00:31:54.960
But the basic printing of that house should be five to six days.
00:31:55.279 --> 00:32:06.319
We are currently printing the first 15 of 82 homes on the first 3D printed affordable attainable subdivision in North America.
00:32:06.400 --> 00:32:10.720
It's being built in Houston, and we have printed, we're printing those walls.
00:32:10.799 --> 00:32:14.799
We printed the first two houses each in five days.
00:32:15.119 --> 00:32:15.839
Amazing, man.
00:32:16.000 --> 00:32:24.559
Now that's not that's not the roof, that's not, you know, all interior, that's not the kitchen, it's not all, but that's just the structural system.
00:32:25.279 --> 00:32:29.599
Well, okay, but compare that to the framing of a home.
00:32:29.759 --> 00:32:33.039
And before you, you know, and everything and all the prep that leads up to the framing.
00:32:33.759 --> 00:32:39.680
And and I don't know, I mean, I would take a stab on how long that would take, but do you do you have an idea of what that comparison is?
00:32:40.240 --> 00:32:50.880
So, yes, it's it's typically about 30% longer on the frame side, but you're not but what you don't talk about is all the other trades that have to be coordinated.
00:32:51.119 --> 00:32:55.599
So, for example, the foundation is completed, they come put the framing in.
00:32:55.920 --> 00:32:57.279
City has to come inspect.
00:32:57.359 --> 00:33:01.359
Then we can clad the exterior with the waterproofing and whatever the exterior finishes.
00:33:01.519 --> 00:33:06.640
While that's going on, someone's coming in and doing the mechanicals, the electrical, the plumbing, they're running all of that.
00:33:06.799 --> 00:33:10.240
Now, they typically can't run all the electrical until the roof is on it.
00:33:10.400 --> 00:33:12.240
My electrical gets pre-run.
00:33:12.400 --> 00:33:13.920
So, you know, that's done.
00:33:14.079 --> 00:33:16.799
I'm I don't have an insulation contractor.
00:33:16.880 --> 00:33:24.240
I don't have like all the 9 to 11 other trades that get eliminated, we save lots of time because here's the thing.
00:33:24.400 --> 00:33:39.200
If you said I want to frame and dry in, basically, I want to have this house waterproof in 11 days, that hedges on you being able to get every one of those 9 to 11 subcontractors to the house when they are ready to go.
00:33:39.359 --> 00:33:44.240
And that they don't show up to the house and oh, the guys yesterday didn't fully finish.
00:33:44.319 --> 00:33:52.160
So these guys can't start and uh oh my gosh, my whole crew has COVID or the flu or whatever and they can't work right now.
00:33:52.400 --> 00:34:01.920
You know, in Texas, as along with California, one of the things that I'm getting a lot of calls about is like we can't find this group because a lot of them have been deported.
00:34:02.400 --> 00:34:02.720
Sure.
00:34:02.960 --> 00:34:06.079
That's that's turning into more of a problem.
00:34:06.240 --> 00:34:15.039
So whereas we don't have to coordinate nine to eleven trades, it's done with my crew that operates the 3D printing setup, and then that's all done through them.
00:34:15.360 --> 00:34:16.320
And I make sure.
00:34:18.880 --> 00:34:22.239
In a perfect world two, right now we're running three.
00:34:22.559 --> 00:34:32.320
Three on site, running from machine to you know, so three a three-person crew putting up the structure of a home calling in about a week.
00:34:32.559 --> 00:34:33.199
Yep.
00:34:33.679 --> 00:34:34.639
Yeah, in theory.
00:34:35.039 --> 00:34:41.760
And and just for clarity, and that and and that includes electrical and plumbing in that process, or that comes after?
00:34:42.159 --> 00:34:54.320
In the walls, the it's includes all the conduit and the plumbing connections, and then uh once the structure is actually finished, fully finished, then a licensed electrician or licensed plumber come and pull pipe and wire.
00:34:54.639 --> 00:34:55.599
Okay, got it.
00:34:55.920 --> 00:35:06.559
And then are you starting to find, though, now that there is starting to get a little bit, you know, more publicity, notoriety, acceptance, are you starting to see demand starting to increase?
00:35:06.719 --> 00:35:08.480
Are you getting some inbound calls?
00:35:08.639 --> 00:35:18.000
Are you getting the curiosity calls from, you know, whether it be builders or even like, and I'm gonna kind of even go back to politicians or municipalities or something like that?
00:35:18.719 --> 00:35:25.039
So uh we had a well-known senator in our office, in our factory a couple weeks ago.
00:35:25.199 --> 00:35:29.119
We have a wait list right now, about 400 and something structures.
00:35:29.440 --> 00:35:32.559
We made a business shift about a year ago.
00:35:32.719 --> 00:35:41.679
We were taking on, you know, Craig, if you called me and said, I want you to build a house here for me, we would take on a custom order or a semi-custom.
00:35:41.840 --> 00:35:45.199
We've really moved away from that because it's not an efficient business.
00:35:45.280 --> 00:35:51.039
We're way more efficient being hired by a builder who says, I'm gonna build 80 homes here.
00:35:51.199 --> 00:35:58.800
So we are really kind of that's that's changed a lot because I still get a lot of inquiries for like, we live in the Pacific Northwest.
00:35:58.960 --> 00:36:00.079
Could you come and build us a house?
00:36:00.159 --> 00:36:01.360
And I'm like, no, I can't.
00:36:01.519 --> 00:36:12.239
Now, here's what has happened is now we have a co-op program where builder partners in other markets buy into the system, sort of like a franchise, but not quite.
00:36:13.039 --> 00:36:22.639
And basically they get the know-how, the machinery, the training, the support, access to our materials, et cetera, to take to their market area.
00:36:22.800 --> 00:36:30.320
And so, like I do, for example, have a partner in Florida who will take on, he'll take on a single build, single family build at any point.
00:36:30.400 --> 00:36:31.280
He doesn't care.
00:36:31.519 --> 00:36:33.920
And and that works for their business model.
00:36:34.079 --> 00:36:40.639
In our market, you know, we're not, I don't want to say we won't do it, but we're I don't even know where we'd fit you into the schedule.
00:36:40.800 --> 00:36:42.800
Uh well, we're easily scale.
00:36:43.679 --> 00:36:48.880
Well, and what we're really looking for is that scalability and that we have to push as many subdivisions out as possible.
00:36:49.039 --> 00:36:55.199
You know, we can't show up, we need to show up on a site and build 10, minimum 10 homes, but you know, preferably 40 to 80.
00:36:55.519 --> 00:36:55.840
Yeah.
00:36:56.079 --> 00:36:56.639
Gotcha.
00:36:56.800 --> 00:36:58.159
I mean, and and that does make sense.
00:36:58.239 --> 00:37:11.199
And again, and actually, and I and I love hearing that because again, from exposure and visibility, you know, as you guys are helping extend this out there, I mean, the word scalability has come up a few times, and I think that's really important.
00:37:11.599 --> 00:37:18.639
Well, and we brought on a co-op partner, like our main market is Houston, you know, it's where we were based, where we are based, where we started.
00:37:18.800 --> 00:37:23.679
We have a co-op partner in Houston now, for example, that will he'll do single family.
00:37:23.840 --> 00:37:34.559
So everybody, every inquiry we get through our website or our socials or what have you, for like, I have a a lot here and I want to build a new house on it, then you know, our guy here gets all those referrals.
00:37:34.800 --> 00:37:35.039
Yeah.
00:37:35.199 --> 00:37:36.000
No, I gotcha.
00:37:36.159 --> 00:37:36.480
I gotcha.
00:37:36.639 --> 00:37:40.559
Well, dude, I mean, I think it again, it's a fascinating conversation.
00:37:40.960 --> 00:37:48.719
So for people in the audience, you know, whether, you know, and and I get a lot of you know, mortgage people, loan officers, I know that the world you know you come from as well.
00:37:48.880 --> 00:37:56.000
If you're a loan officer or a realtor, you know, listening to this, what how what do you want them thinking about?
00:37:56.159 --> 00:38:10.559
You know, is there an opportunity for them to say, you know what, I think this can better, you know, our market area, or if I know a builder, you know, I mean, what are what are the kinds of conversations that you're having with other mortgage and housing professionals?
00:38:11.119 --> 00:38:15.039
You all know a mid-sized builder that is interested in this technology.
00:38:15.119 --> 00:38:22.000
And right now we're actively seeking partners to partner with to build new subdivisions utilizing 3D printing.
00:38:22.079 --> 00:38:23.840
We've had some really good success with it.
00:38:24.000 --> 00:38:28.559
We're in under construction in a number of successful subdivisions right now.
00:38:28.719 --> 00:38:30.559
We've got to continue that growth pattern.
00:38:30.719 --> 00:38:39.760
So for the people who have that friend or that customer, I'm the preferred lender with this builder, you know, make those introductions because they're all kind of interested in it.
00:38:39.840 --> 00:38:41.360
They all want to learn more about it.
00:38:41.519 --> 00:38:44.079
They just don't know who necessarily to reach out to.
00:38:44.239 --> 00:38:44.480
Yeah.
00:38:44.800 --> 00:38:55.519
The big issue in the 3D printing world is if you Google it, there are probably 30 or so companies in North America right now that say we are a 3D printing company.
00:38:55.760 --> 00:39:02.800
The problem is that if you say, well, if you built one home, one structure, that number goes down to nine.
00:39:03.199 --> 00:39:07.440
And if you say, well, if you built more than one, and that number drops to five.
00:39:07.679 --> 00:39:11.280
And if you say, well, if you built 10 or more, and it drops to two.
00:39:11.519 --> 00:39:11.840
Got it.
00:39:12.159 --> 00:39:26.960
So what's happening is somebody sees something, they go click on a website, it looks very AI-y, and it's like, oh, you clicked on one of the guys who like there's a company right now in Florida that they've been posting all sorts of stuff about all these things they're building, and it was interesting.
00:39:27.039 --> 00:39:28.159
Their AI is actually great.
00:39:28.320 --> 00:39:32.880
Like these structures look good, which is great, because sometimes they look like smurf houses and it's weird.
00:39:33.199 --> 00:39:33.440
Yeah.
00:39:33.679 --> 00:39:37.440
And then she posted a video, and it's one of my videos.
00:39:38.000 --> 00:39:42.800
And I'm like, this is this is not your subdivision, this is not your technology.
00:39:43.039 --> 00:39:45.519
You didn't even blur out my logo.
00:39:45.679 --> 00:39:48.559
Like, stop presenting that you are us.
00:39:48.960 --> 00:39:53.199
Like, it's crazy out there right now, and this is a constant battle.
00:39:53.519 --> 00:39:56.000
So for I get distracted.
00:39:56.719 --> 00:40:06.880
Real estate people, you know, the other thing too is if you're in the industry, it's really being open to other forms of building technology and why something could be better.
00:40:07.119 --> 00:40:10.960
The other thing, and it's my plead for realtors and for mortgage people.
00:40:11.119 --> 00:40:11.920
I'm a mortgage guy.
00:40:12.000 --> 00:40:14.559
I was in the I've been in the industry for 26 years.
00:40:15.679 --> 00:40:20.559
Just because someone can afford a cheap house doesn't mean they should buy it.
00:40:21.119 --> 00:40:26.639
And I really feel like we've got to stop pushing like I know this is all you can afford, this$189,000 house.
00:40:26.719 --> 00:40:28.400
And it's an absolute piece of shit.
00:40:28.639 --> 00:40:30.800
Stop selling people those houses.
00:40:30.960 --> 00:40:39.760
Those are probably people who are better off renting because that house in that subdivision is not going to appreciate.
00:40:40.159 --> 00:40:41.760
It's a horrible investment.
00:40:41.920 --> 00:40:43.840
In three to five years, they're gonna need to sell it.
00:40:43.920 --> 00:40:51.440
They're gonna sell it for what they paid for it or less, and they're not gonna be able to do the maintenance because the maintenance is gonna become insurmountable.
00:40:52.400 --> 00:40:57.360
And so the reality here is like just because we can get you into a home doesn't mean we should.
00:40:57.519 --> 00:41:00.800
And that's the we're all on commission, and I get it.
00:41:00.880 --> 00:41:05.840
It's the hardest pill to swallow, but not everyone needs to buy a house.
00:41:06.079 --> 00:41:08.400
Unless the structure is better.
00:41:08.719 --> 00:41:15.440
Well, and ergo the b the big issue with home affordability, and right now, you know, stick bill being called 99.99%.
00:41:16.559 --> 00:41:18.960
So really the demand needs to come.
00:41:19.039 --> 00:41:29.199
I mean, the politicians need to push it, the mini municipalities need to approve it, the the builders need to get you know on board with it, and then it starts trailing down into the housing professionals.
00:41:29.280 --> 00:41:31.679
But I think the housing professionals need to vocalize it.
00:41:31.840 --> 00:41:35.840
We need to galvanize around this and vocal and vocalize around it.
00:41:36.239 --> 00:41:39.679
And very and they're loud groups and they have very loud lobbies.
00:41:39.760 --> 00:41:50.320
And so the reality is like the National Association of Realtors, the National Association of Home Builders, they're all pushing really hard for alternative technologies because they know something's gotta break.
00:41:50.559 --> 00:41:57.280
Listen, every real estate agent out there has had a customer that like might have even had a healthy budget and couldn't find anything to buy.
00:41:57.440 --> 00:41:57.840
Yeah.
00:41:58.000 --> 00:41:58.400
Yeah.
00:41:58.719 --> 00:42:00.960
And that's something that we've got to solve.
00:42:01.039 --> 00:42:13.199
But we've also got, you know, we've got areas of the country where they're forecasting in five to ten years, they're 500,000, 750,000, a million structures short of what the actual demand is going to be.
00:42:13.519 --> 00:42:15.440
This problem does not get better.
00:42:15.679 --> 00:42:18.639
So we've got to come up with solutions that kind of solve it.
00:42:18.800 --> 00:42:22.320
And I had someone the other day say, well, what about modular housing?
00:42:22.400 --> 00:42:25.840
And I'm like, modular housing has been around since the 50s.
00:42:26.000 --> 00:42:29.679
And if it was going to make a difference and take it on, it would have done it already.
00:42:29.920 --> 00:42:30.159
Yeah.
00:42:30.320 --> 00:42:30.559
Yeah.
00:42:30.639 --> 00:42:33.280
And modular housing is a something.
00:42:33.360 --> 00:42:34.719
I'm not putting it down for something.
00:42:34.960 --> 00:42:35.599
Absolutely.
00:42:35.840 --> 00:42:38.800
But comparing to the affordable segment.
00:42:39.280 --> 00:42:52.079
And but comparing to, again, going back to, well, compare a modular home to a concrete home, durability, you know, and and all those other, you know, aspects that, you know, and I don't know about a price to price, you know, ratio.
00:42:52.320 --> 00:42:54.639
Maybe you have that, you know, a comparison on your mind.
00:42:54.960 --> 00:42:55.920
Depends on where it's coming from.
00:42:56.000 --> 00:42:58.559
Look, modular is is an expensive form of building.
00:42:58.639 --> 00:43:03.360
It is better than tradition, than the cheapest form of stick typically, and every builder's a little different.
00:43:03.599 --> 00:43:03.760
Yeah.
00:43:03.920 --> 00:43:06.239
But again, the technology has been around for a while.
00:43:06.320 --> 00:43:15.519
We don't, we're not seeing a lot of modular that's suddenly like, hey, we can get a home built that someone making 70% of the area median income can afford.
00:43:15.679 --> 00:43:16.400
Just not seeing it.
00:43:16.480 --> 00:43:19.760
It's kind of the same with, you know, like, okay, well, we can go to the manufactured route.
00:43:19.840 --> 00:43:20.239
Absolutely.
00:43:20.480 --> 00:43:23.199
Manufactured route, it is a less expensive housing option.
00:43:23.440 --> 00:43:25.679
But that's kind of stigma to it, and you know.
00:43:26.079 --> 00:43:28.000
But does it lend itself to storms?
00:43:28.079 --> 00:43:31.039
You know, to peril, it it just doesn't.
00:43:31.199 --> 00:43:32.320
It's not built that way.
00:43:32.559 --> 00:43:34.719
So I do think, you know, there's some challenges there.
00:43:34.880 --> 00:43:44.400
Look, the home building technology, construction technology, I mean, our last major set of innovations was in the 50s and 60s with the advent of the circular saw and the pneumatic nail gun.
00:43:44.559 --> 00:43:50.000
I mean, that was the like the last leap in performance in construction.
00:43:50.159 --> 00:43:53.039
And since then, it's just sort of like it keeps plateauing.
00:43:53.119 --> 00:43:58.320
Now, have we seen you know better technologies because of AI and digital stuff?
00:43:59.199 --> 00:43:59.760
Absolutely.
00:44:00.480 --> 00:44:10.400
But the last actual market performance in, you know, how can we build these 200 houses faster and cheaper was the circular saw.
00:44:10.800 --> 00:44:13.440
The the baseline really has not changed.
00:44:13.519 --> 00:44:15.440
I mean, we can have little subtleties.
00:44:16.000 --> 00:44:19.920
Okay, so you know, last question here, you know, uh financing.
00:44:20.000 --> 00:44:22.079
Um, you know, certainly coming from the mortgage side.
00:44:22.159 --> 00:44:25.760
Um, Fanny, Freddie, FHA, what are you finding on the financing side?
00:44:25.840 --> 00:44:27.760
Is this, you know, can you get a mortgage on this?
00:44:27.920 --> 00:44:29.039
Is it we are you, you know?
00:44:29.280 --> 00:44:29.519
Yeah.
00:44:29.920 --> 00:44:34.400
You're welcome because that was one of my chief concerns in the beginning when I got involved.
00:44:34.559 --> 00:44:39.679
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have both issued guidance that 3D printed is an acceptable housing construction type.
00:44:39.840 --> 00:44:40.880
So you're totally fine.
00:44:41.119 --> 00:44:46.480
HUD has now done a number of homes, FHA loans have been done on 3D printed, it's fine.
00:44:46.639 --> 00:44:49.119
The one that hasn't been done, actually, I have to correct myself.
00:44:49.199 --> 00:45:08.639
I think there's now been one, but VA had not done a 3D printed home yet, but I had it on assurances by two different officials at the VA that as long as the homes conformed to the market area, like they weren't geodesic geodesic dome or smurf houses, as long as they looked like the neighborhood, that the VA would be fine with it.
00:45:08.719 --> 00:45:10.639
It was ultimately up to their appraiser.
00:45:10.800 --> 00:45:17.360
The reality is that if an appraiser walks into one of our finished homes, unless they were there during construction, they don't know it's a 3D printed home.
00:45:17.440 --> 00:45:18.880
They just know it's solid.
00:45:19.760 --> 00:45:22.400
So, you know, maybe we don't push that out at first.
00:45:22.639 --> 00:45:31.360
But well, but you bring up a good point because it it comes down to appraisals and comps, and that is that can be accepted with this compared to normal stick-built homes.
00:45:31.760 --> 00:45:36.880
You know, there's been some subdivisions of homes built by our competitor in Austin.
00:45:36.960 --> 00:45:43.360
Those were all financed through a major national uh home builders lender, and they did not have any issues.
00:45:43.679 --> 00:45:50.239
Our our homes that we're building right now in Houston, I mean, there's a lender already involved, they do not have concerns.
00:45:50.480 --> 00:45:52.639
So it's it is not really an issue.
00:45:52.800 --> 00:46:01.280
Now, if you work for a small municipal bank and maybe everything's going on portfolio, you might want to talk to bank management first and go, hey, how are we gonna deal with this?
00:46:01.440 --> 00:46:04.880
But if you're selling to agency, uh, you have very little to worry about.
00:46:05.039 --> 00:46:05.440
Got it.
00:46:05.519 --> 00:46:06.480
Okay, I mean that's great.
00:46:06.639 --> 00:46:07.280
That's great news.
00:46:07.360 --> 00:46:08.000
Yeah.
00:46:08.400 --> 00:46:08.800
All right.
00:46:09.039 --> 00:46:12.559
You know, um, I said last question, but this is really the last question.
00:46:13.280 --> 00:46:17.840
For everyone listening in the audience, what's the one word or a couple words?
00:46:18.000 --> 00:46:21.119
What do you want to leave everybody with to remember this conversation?
00:46:21.360 --> 00:46:22.400
That's a tough question.
00:46:22.480 --> 00:46:23.840
Why'd you why'd you do that last?
00:46:26.559 --> 00:46:30.320
I the word that really comes up for me, I think, is resiliency.
00:46:30.480 --> 00:46:39.920
You know, resiliency in housing, resiliency in our industry, whether you're on the real estate side or the mortgage side, like this things only are getting better right now.
00:46:40.079 --> 00:46:46.000
And I know it feels like it may not be in a lot of markets, and a lot of people are struggling, and I don't want to make light of that.
00:46:46.079 --> 00:46:49.840
But I've had some very interesting conversations with mortgage and real estate people lately.
00:46:49.920 --> 00:46:53.599
And one of the things I keep pushing out is people are out buying.
00:46:53.760 --> 00:46:58.559
It's not the same buyer we were used to five years ago or 10 years ago.
00:46:58.639 --> 00:47:00.159
And so we've had to change.
00:47:00.320 --> 00:47:02.480
We have to look at them differently.
00:47:02.960 --> 00:47:08.719
But remember when, you know, let's just call it rates were at 2% and now they're at six and a half percent.
00:47:08.880 --> 00:47:10.880
There's still a buyer out there who needs you.
00:47:11.039 --> 00:47:11.360
Yeah.
00:47:11.760 --> 00:47:16.079
We have to be resilient to realize that like we're still needed.
00:47:16.239 --> 00:47:18.960
Where is the demand and what do we need to be selling?
00:47:19.280 --> 00:47:23.679
For me, it was I've been involved in the industry so long.
00:47:23.840 --> 00:47:32.239
I started watching these groups of people who we just couldn't, you know, oh, we could approve them for a price point, but I knew that wasn't gonna find them a house that was any good.
00:47:32.719 --> 00:47:37.840
And then it was sort of like, okay, well, if we're looking at it through a resilient lens, what's gonna happen?
00:47:38.079 --> 00:47:39.599
We gotta do something to change that.
00:47:39.760 --> 00:47:41.360
We got to build something different.
00:47:41.599 --> 00:47:45.679
And so I think that inside of resiliency, that's kind of my that's my takeaway.
00:47:45.920 --> 00:47:47.760
It feels like that's the theme for this year, too.
00:47:47.920 --> 00:47:50.800
Also, I don't know, people keep saying it, roll with the punches.
00:47:50.880 --> 00:47:53.679
Like, I'm kind of tired of rolling with the punches, but we still have to keep doing.
00:47:54.239 --> 00:47:57.360
Well, no, but I mean, I think resiliency is a great word.
00:47:57.440 --> 00:48:07.760
I mean, when it comes to the, you know, what these homes are going to help this industry 100%, the borrower, you know, and and and we need resiliency right now.
00:48:07.840 --> 00:48:10.000
And we are in an era shift.
00:48:10.079 --> 00:48:13.119
You know, I mean, there's a shift in society, there's a shift in our industry.
00:48:13.199 --> 00:48:14.880
There, you know, shift happens.
00:48:15.039 --> 00:48:15.840
Everybody knows that.
00:48:15.920 --> 00:48:19.039
And I'm putting my you know, TV right here, make shift happen.
00:48:19.280 --> 00:48:21.440
And this is part of that shift.
00:48:21.519 --> 00:48:26.079
And we have to be not just, I mean, we have to be resilient to help.
00:48:26.159 --> 00:48:29.199
I mean, I think of resiliency almost like elasticity in a way.
00:48:29.280 --> 00:48:29.440
Yeah.
00:48:29.760 --> 00:48:36.639
We have to be elastic to be able to move forward and be resilient with, and I agree with you, like I don't want to just roll with the punches.
00:48:36.719 --> 00:48:37.840
I'm sick of getting punched.
00:48:37.920 --> 00:48:40.400
I want to be the person who's punching back, right?
00:48:40.559 --> 00:48:44.639
And this to me is one of those, you know, areas where we need to start punching back.
00:48:44.719 --> 00:48:50.559
And I think we need to be aggressive at getting, I'm gonna say, solid concrete homes into the market.
00:48:50.719 --> 00:48:53.440
That happened to be 3D process.
00:48:53.840 --> 00:48:54.719
Something different.
00:48:54.880 --> 00:48:56.000
We have to try something new.
00:48:56.079 --> 00:48:57.599
Don't be afraid of trying something new.
00:48:57.760 --> 00:49:01.599
I mean, like some of our initial try something news were failures.
00:49:01.760 --> 00:49:05.280
We've made some massive mistakes, massive failures.
00:49:05.599 --> 00:49:09.679
But I always look back, even when they're really upsetting, is like, at least we tried.
00:49:09.840 --> 00:49:12.079
Yeah, we did try, and we continue to try.
00:49:12.320 --> 00:49:13.199
Yeah, yeah.
00:49:13.440 --> 00:49:19.280
Well, I think it's only a failure if you don't try or if you stop, but you keep innovating, you keep going forward.
00:49:19.360 --> 00:49:22.000
There's resiliency, and now we have innovation.
00:49:22.079 --> 00:49:23.840
So, you know, agreed with that.
00:49:24.079 --> 00:49:24.880
Awesome, man.
00:49:24.960 --> 00:49:29.280
Uh Robert, how can people learn a little bit more about you, learn learn more about your business?
00:49:29.360 --> 00:49:31.519
And I'll have all links and everything else in the show notes.
00:49:31.840 --> 00:49:32.239
Absolutely.
00:49:33.679 --> 00:49:35.199
Connect with me on Instagram.
00:49:35.280 --> 00:49:42.880
It's I'm my handle is RM Spiegel on LinkedIn, follow Hive Assemble, which is H-I-V-E-A-S-M-B-L-D.
00:49:43.119 --> 00:49:47.360
We're on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn, and also our website.
00:49:47.440 --> 00:49:49.039
We make a lot of product announcements.
00:49:49.280 --> 00:49:52.880
We actually have a redesign of the website coming out, hopefully in 30 days.
00:49:52.960 --> 00:49:54.960
It's just one of those things on my to-do list.
00:49:55.119 --> 00:49:57.599
And then if you know if you have questions, you can reach out to me.
00:49:57.679 --> 00:50:00.960
The the inquiry pages on our website all go to me directly.
00:50:01.119 --> 00:50:06.079
So if there's a builder you want me to talk to, or you want to make an introduction, reach out.
00:50:06.559 --> 00:50:06.960
Awesome.
00:50:07.119 --> 00:50:10.000
Well, and and again, we'll have we'll have all the links, everything, you know, in the show notes.
00:50:10.320 --> 00:50:10.719
Amazing.
00:50:10.800 --> 00:50:11.119
Thank you.
00:50:11.280 --> 00:50:11.760
All right, brother.
00:50:12.000 --> 00:50:12.960
I appreciate the conversation.
00:50:13.039 --> 00:50:14.320
I appreciate what you're doing out here.
00:50:14.400 --> 00:50:18.239
I find it super fascinating, and I look forward to continuing this conversation with you.
00:50:18.559 --> 00:50:19.280
So fun.
00:50:19.360 --> 00:50:20.400
Thanks for having me.
00:50:21.519 --> 00:50:22.239
All right, everybody.
00:50:22.480 --> 00:50:23.440
Appreciate you guys' time.
00:50:23.519 --> 00:50:24.559
Another episode of Talking Chip.
00:50:24.800 --> 00:50:26.000
We'll see you guys on the next one.
00:50:26.239 --> 00:50:26.719
Peace.
00:50:26.960 --> 00:50:29.519
Hey, thanks for joining me today on Talking Shit.
00:50:29.599 --> 00:50:33.280
I hope you enjoyed it, and I'm looking forward to seeing you on our next episode.