The Plan Collection Allows Home Builders to 3D Print Their Blueprints

March 6, 2014 by Brian Krassenstein 3D Printing

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Building a home is one of the most exciting things anyone can ever take part in. Once a perfect design is chosen and tweaked, you can slowly watch with excitement as your future residence takes shape, one piece at a time. Over the last year, I myself, have been involved in the process of designing my own custom home, which we plan to break ground on in another month or so. In this process I have found that one of the biggest problems I have when looking at the 2D CAD drawings is that it’s very difficult to get a true idea about how the finished 3D product will look.

The Plan Collection, one of the largest internet home plan providers, has come up with a solution for this problem that many home builders face. Today they introduced the ability for customers to 3D print their home designs. Each design on the website will eventually have a 3D printer ready model, which customers can download and print out from their 3D printer at home. According to The Plan Collection, there are several key benefits to 3D printing a home design, which include the ability to:

Visualize all angles and spacing – both exterior and interior.
Improve communication with and engage your contractors to get the results you want.
Provide a detailed emulation of the design found on the blueprints in only a 2D format.
Test the orientation of your home on your property to optimize sunlight in the home.

“Our 3D printer-ready floor plans enable you to visualize your home plan from all four orientations,” said James McNair, president and chief operating officer, The Plan Collection. “You can even take your 3D printed model to your building site to determine the best orientation of your house to the elements. Imagine a future where you can build your entire home using a robotic 3D printer. Our first house plans with a 3D printing option are just the beginning.”

As 3D printing continues to evolve, more and more companies are integrating the technology into their business plans. What The Plan Collection is doing is just one of thousands of examples. At this time The Plan Collection is offering 3D print files for House Plan #187-1001, but have plans on expanding this program over time. Discuss this article at 3DPrintBoard.