Gone are the days when building a house required months of hammering wall studs, screwing floor joists and other backbreaking tasks. If a company in China has its way, a new house can be yours in a matter of hours, thanks to a their 3D-printing technique.

Shanghai-based WinSun has devised a method of 3D printing its patented reinforced gypsum panels and cement building components, most of which are composed of recycled construction waste. This makes the small houses not only inexpensive (about $4,800) and quick to assemble, but very eco-friendly.

Like most 3D printers, WinSun's immense printers lay the materials down layer by layer, building up as they go. The materials are designed to readily accept plumbing, electrical lines, insulation and windows after the walls and roof are assembled. WinSun hopes its 3D-printing technology will offer "affordable and dignified housing" to poor neighborhoods.

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