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A cutting-edge construction firm is partnering with the U.S. military to build 3D-printed barracks.

Driving the news: Austin-based ICON tells Axios the fast-growing company is building military housing at Fort Bliss in West Texas, its latest project with the military.

Details: At more than 5,700 square feet each, the barracks will be the largest 3D-printed structures in the Western Hemisphere, per the company.

Why it matters: The project is another way ICON is showing how 3D printing can be used to quickly erect more energy-efficient and resilient buildings at greater speed and lower cost than traditional methods.

Distinguishing these buildings is what the company calls biophiliac lines — organic-seeming structures characterized by curved lines.

The big picture: Facing a backlog in housing projects, the Defense Department is looking for ways to replace its oldest barracks, some dating to the 1940s and compromised by rot or mildew.

​​"The buildings that we're constructing are much more energy efficient, more beautiful and more climate resilient," Brendan O'Donoghue, vice president of public sector projects at ICON, tells Axios.

Flashback: In 2020, ICON partnered with the U.S. Marine Corps to roll out 3D printing for expeditionary use to cut the time, cost and risk of construction in support of overseas contingency operations.

What they're saying: "This project supports all three Army priorities: people, readiness and modernization," says Lt. Gen. Doug Gabram, commanding general of United States Army Installation Management Command. "Constructing facilities using this cutting-edge technology saves labor costs, reduces planning time and increases the speed of construction of future facilities."

By the numbers: ICON officials declined to say how much the new barracks would cost, except that the project would be "10-30% cheaper than traditional construction."

What's next: Gabram says the military is examining whether to use ICON's technology for "other types of facilities beyond barracks."

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