A San Francisco non-profit organisation focusing on providing housing  solutions to communities in extreme poverty is using a 11-ft tall 3-D printer to makes concrete houses in Nacajuca, Mexico, according to the New York Times.

New Story teamed with Echale, a social housing production company in Mexico, and Icon, a construction technology company in Austin, Texas.

In Nacajuca, building a home with Icon’s Vulcan II printer looks much like a massive soft-serve ice cream cone: Layers of lavacrete, the company’s proprietary concrete mix, are poured one after another in long swirls. The printer is controlled by a tablet or smartphone, requires as few as three workers and can complete a home in less than 24 hours.

“We know that being able to build more quickly, without sacrificing quality, is something that we have to make huge leaps on if we’re going to even make a dent on the issue of housing in our lifetime,” said Brett Hagler, New Story’s chief executive and one of four founders.

The homes are 500-square-foot, with two bedrooms, a finished kitchen and bath, and indoor plumbing.