Starbucks opened a 3D-printed location in Brownsville, Texas, at 2491 Boca Chica Boulevard on Friday May 2, the very first 3D-printed store in the U.S. The location will offer drive-thru ordering and mobile order pickup only.
The recipe for a 3D-printed Starbucks
The 1,400-square-foot store was built layer by layer with a 3D printing machine. A computer-controlled robotic arm worked alongside construction crews, meticulously piping concrete lines, the same way a printer places ink on paper. The grooved exterior showcases each stacked layer.
Adeola Olubamiji, Ph.D., engineer, technologist, CEO of Pathfinder Consulting and an expert in printing technologies, spoke with Today.com about the new build. She explained, “This technology combines the semi-solid with a polymer, so that each layer adheres to the next layer due to the polymer that connects them together, much like an adhesive.”
Starbucks worked with Peri 3D Construction, a company based in Weißenhorn, Germany, to erect the new location. Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation records show estimates indicated it would cost $1.198 million to create.
The cost of 3D printing construction is likely to decrease as the industry and technology advance and reach an economy of scale. And it solves current issues with labor shortages, costly building materials and elongated timelines.
Whipping up solutions to construction problems
“You are starting to see the technology is getting faster, smaller,” Virginia Tech’s Andrew McCoy, director of the Virginia Center for Housing Research, told the Associated Press, “It’s getting easier to use.”
Business Observer wrote about the nationwide construction labor shortage in early April, noting that “nearly 40% of skilled trade professionals are over the age of 45 [and] less than 10% of workers between the ages of 19 and 24 are entering the trades.” Construction Dive also reported in April that material costs have increased three months in a row among tariff stress.
According to Cobod, the manufacturer of the types of 3D printers Peri 3D Construction uses, 3D printed buildings can be created 20 times faster than traditionally built structures.
Icon, another 3D printing company, claims its builds cost 30% of what traditional ones do, per CNBC. Icon is one of the partners responsible for Wolf Ranch, a neighborhood of 100 3D-printed houses in Georgetown, Texas. So, the Starbucks store isn’t Texas’ first 3D-printed rodeo.
The University College of Estate Management in the U.K. identifies seven key benefits of 3D printing in construction: rapid production, minimizing downtime, reducing material waste, utilization of recycled materials, innovative solutions, reducing the risk of human error and cost-effectiveness.
All these points can help entrepreneurs cut down on the cost of setting up a brick-and-mortar store or expanding to new locations. Construction might not have to take months or years. Businesses can open sooner, and owners can spend less on labor and materials.
While this new Starbucks location is made of concrete, 3D printing can use more sustainable materials, such as polymer composite. According to the World Economic Forum, this synthetic stone is 30% lighter than concrete, five times stronger and creates fewer carbon emissions. This technology can reduce environmental impact and cater to consumer demand for greener business practices.
Where can 3D-printed construction go from here?
3D printing in construction is still finding its legs, but this new Starbucks location is likely a sign of things to come. As McCoy expressed to the AP, this technology will become faster, more cost-effective and more accessible.
Olubamiji said to Today, “I believe that for construction as an industry, it’s one of the practical applications of 3D printing that I’m looking forward to in five years, 10 years, for it to be actually widely adopted… I’m excited to see it coming into a large company like Starbucks that would get an opportunity to use it across multiple stations.”
If major brands like Starbucks adopt 3D printing into their building processes, the tech will become more commonplace, allowing smaller companies and startups to leverage its advantages.
Photo by Moab Republic/Shutterstock
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