As more jobs are being created in the North Texas region, a local startup is developing an innovative way to house those moving to fill those roles.
Dallas-based Von Perry, a 3D-printed homebuilding company, is kicking off its first construction project in Collin County that’s already garnering the attention of potential new clients.
“What we're trying to do is reconstruct the whole construction process,” said Treyvon Perry, CEO and co-founder. “It gives architects a lot more flexibility with design… and a lot less waste at construction sites.”
In the small city of Nevada in the southeastern part of the county, Von Perry is planning to build a 1,700-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bathroom single-family house at a cost of around $200,000. Using hardware from Minnesota firm Total Kustom and locally sourced materials for concrete, the company will construct the house layer by layer via the contour crafting method. The construction process only requires three people on site and, barring delays due to weather and permitting, is expected to be completed by the end of February.
Sebin Joseph, co-founder and chief technology officer, said the use of concrete makes for a more durable build, while 3D printing allows for more complicated designs. Adding that the ease of construction helps to cut down on time and labor. Overall, the company is looking to provide customizable designs that are affordable and modern, appealing to millennial clientele.
“They want something new, organic, something fresh, and it looks 2022 – something that fits the year that house was built in,” Perry said. “We’re definitely pushing that design philosophy here at Von Perry."
According to the company, the project will mark the first 3D-printed house in the U.S. made with regular mix concrete. Perry said the attention the announcement of the project has brought has led to nine new clients coming on board.
“You can actually get a lot of complicated designs built within a reasonable price range,” Joseph said. “People can make their homes customized to their own taste, rather than copy-paste the same design over and over again.”
While the idea behind Von Perry started around four years ago while Perry was at a 3D tech center in Garland, the company was incorporated last year, after bringing on Joseph. Earlier this year, the company took home the first-place prize and $15,000 in funding at UT Arlington’s MAVPitch competition and tested its design with Florida construction startup Printed Farms.
As the company looks to grow, adding four new hires – primarily in the area of software development – Von Perry will look to take on its first round of outside funding. Initially, Perry said the company was planning to raise $400,000 but will be looking to increase that number due to interest in the new Nevada project.
For now, Von Perry plans to focus its direct-to-consumer attention on single-family units in Texas, where Joseph said codes and regulations make construction easier.
“The vision I have for Von Perry is to get the company to where we have the capability to 3D-print a whole community, a whole city if we really can,” Perry said. “The whole point is to bring immense positive impacts to society.”
