Disruption to construction: meet the real-life balloon homes
Construction is costly and time-consuming, and the need for homes is increasing. Automatic Construction is a New York based startup that has developed a method called Inflatable Flexible Factory Formwork (IFFF) to improve both of these factors.
The IFFF technique involves delivering prefabricated forms to construction sites, which are then inflated and filled with concrete to create the house structure. Automatic Construction claims this method can reduce construction costs to one-fifth of traditional methods and expedite the building process.
To begin, what is essentially a house-shaped balloon, is delivered to a building-site. Shipping is compact as the structure is delivered rolled up and as compact as possible. At the site, the structure, which is made of flexible plastic fabrics with reinforcement and internal 3D structures, is rolled out. Air pumps are then used to inflate the building, ready for filling. The structures can be filled with any pumpable building material, including ready mix concrete, aircrete, and sustainable cement.
Once filled, the form stays in place, acting as built-in waterproofing and an airtight barrier to improve the building’s heating and cooling performance. Once dry, the outer walls are covered in traditional façade, and the interior walls with drywall. All the mechanicals, doors, and windows are then fitted.
Founder Alex Bell told New Atlas: “For our 100 square foot (9.3 square metres) and 200 square foot (18.6 square metres) prototypes, the inflation took seven to 10 minutes with air.
“Then the concrete pump filled them in 1.5 hours. Including labour, our prototypes only cost $20 per square foot. This is significantly cheaper than anything else.”
Currently, Automatic Construction is focusing on developing residential homes and accessory dwelling units (ADUs). However, the startup is also exploring applications in infrastructure, commercial, and military projects. Looking ahead, the company envisions its technology being used for constructing tunnels, skyscrapers, and even swimming pools.
By introducing automation and prefabrication into the construction industry, Automatic Construction is addressing some of the sector’s biggest challenges, including labour shortages, slow project timelines, and high material costs.
With the construction industry under pressure to modernise, this technology could play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the sector.
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