Home 3D Printed On-Site, Genesis Homes Returns to ‘Village’ Joined by Franklin PreFab
The International Builders’ Show and associated Kitchen & Bath International Show are back in person, this time in Orlando. MHInsider contributor Suzanne Felber, The Lifestylist, is perusing the Orange County Convention Center for solutions that fit the floorplan and anticipated lifestyle for most factory-built homes. She also is keeping a keen eye for housing innovation, including the on-site home building process with a 3D printer, and new homes from modular builders.
IBS ’22 kicked off on Feb. 8 and continues through Feb. 10.
Small Appliances and Luxuries at IBS ’22
LG came to Orlando with a North American test product. Manufactured homeowners, particularly those who live in manufactured home communities with defined common areas, can start the gardening a few months earlier with a 24-inch indoor gardening appliance. Growing light, climate control, and connects with LG ThinQ smart technology.
Under Counter Small Appliances at IBS ’22
Smaller appliances like undercounted dishwashers, microwaves, and refrigeration drawers are trending. Copper and rose gold metal finishes are being seen in a lot more places in the kitchen and bathrooms. The under-counter dishwasher shown below is part of the GE Cafe line.
Shower Walls Clean Themselves
Airmada uses treated air that is piped into a shower through the nozzles to dry a shower after use to prevent mold and mineral buildup.
Microvisor Brings New Hood Exhaust to Orlando for IBS ’22
The hood addition from Microvisor takes lost exhaust from a range and helps direct it back to the fan with a microwave fan combination.
Black Buffalo Constructs 3D-Printed Home at IBS ’22
Black Buffalo 3D’s NEXCON™ construction printer used to construct a tiny home at IBS ’22 is designed to help developers, contractors, governments, and non-governmental organizations with technology and materials to save time and money compared with traditional building methods. The NEXCON family of printers was developed in global partnership with mechanical engineering and construction experts to address the needs of tomorrow, today. Based in New York, the company can print multiple stories high, for homes or buildings. It also can print standup walls and modular components faster and more cost-effectively than when framed lumber, precast, or block methods are used.
The tiny home built in 12-hours in Orlando used 12 “superstacks” of Black Buffalo 3D structural concrete mix, 540 gallons of water, and a series of horizontal reinforcements, one every five to seven stacks. It takes three workers to operate the machine, one each at the controller, pump, and nozzle.
Genesis Homes Returns to the Builder’s Show
Felber said she feels Genesis is succeeding in their plan to become disruptors in the building industry.
“I think they can do it,” she said. “I really appreciate the new management I met, and I am more optimistic about the future of this company than ever.”
Felber said the company seems to be hiring more often corporate professionals with backgrounds outside the manufactured housing industry.
“They have their eyes set on developers and doing more communities that compete apples-to-apples with site built homes, except they will be able to offer all of the advantages of factory built housing,” Felber said.
Genesis, which is a brand or Champion Homes, last had a home at IBS in 2020.
Franklin PreFab Joins Genesis in the IBS Village
Franklin, from Russelville, Ala., chose a home from its prefab line to bring to IBS. Franklin PreFab provides style and design that mirrors conventional on-site built homes and offer the advantages and efficiencies of factory-produced homes.
The line provides a broad selection of designs and styles, and each floorplan and set of home interior options can be customized for the buyer. Though many prefab buyers intend to install the Franklin series on a foundation and with the local modular code, Franklin PreFab also can be built to the HUD code and can be placed as a manufactured home.
Franklin sells all of its homes from homebuilding facilities, through a network of retailers, and in partnership with residential developers.
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