Apr 15, 2026 - Technology

Icon Prime boss wants to build "900 barracks" in five years

Colin Demarest

A military base is seen as large 3D printers form future barracks for U.S. troops. It's a desert environment. — Barracks being 3D printed at Fort Bliss, Texas. Photo: Courtesy of Icon

Icon, a 3D-printing construction company, is launching a dedicated defense-and-space division dubbed Icon Prime.

It's led by Will Hurd, the former Republican presidential candidate and CIA clandestine officer.

Why it matters: The business specializes in government work, including construction of military barracks and potential space bases, as well as the advanced robotics needed for such ventures.

"We need an ability to build infrastructure, to have this force projection, in really hard places," Hurd told Axios, mentioning both the Arctic and the Indo-Pacific.

State of play: Icon is already building — printing, rather — at Fort Bliss, Texas, where the company is on contract for 10 barracks. That $63 million project will eventually house hundreds of soldiers.

The company also secured millions of dollars from NASA to figure out lunar construction. That involves building with local materials, often referred to as regolith, and contending with incredible temperature swings.
In 2020, it helped Marines print a shelter for a large vehicle at Camp Pendleton, California.

Friction point: Traditional military housing has been under the gun for years.

The Government Accountability Office in 2023 documented instances of hot-water outages, malfunctioning elevators, broken locks and methane leaks.

What's next: Hurd wants "to build 900 barracks in the next five years."

"This is about making sure their quality of life allows the warfighter to be ready to do their ultimate job," he said.

Go deeper: Icon to sell its 3D-printing robots to builders

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Icon Prime boss wants to build "900 barracks" in five years

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