Habitat for Humanity Leans into 3D Printed Construction

Habitat for Humanity is turning to 3D printing technology as a critical tool in its efforts to bring affordable housing to those in need in the United States.

In partnership with Alquist, a 3D printing home construction company, and the Greater Williamsburg region, Habitat for Humanity Peninsula just completed its first 3D printed home with the family moving in just before Christmas. The 1,200-square-foot, three bedroom, two bathroom home was partially built with concrete 3D printing technology from COBOD with oversight by the Alquist construction team.

The exterior walls of the home were 3D printed in 28 hours, significantly shaving weeks off a typical home construction cycle, and the use of concrete reduced building costs by as much as 15% per square foot based on preliminary estimates, officials said. Habitat for Humanity officials are estimating the use of concrete will lead to additional savings for the home owner, including a reduction on heating and cooling costs due to its ability to retain temperature, as well as better resistance to weather events such as tornados and hurricane damage.

The Williamsburg home, which follows a similar Habitat for Humanity project in Tempe, AZ, is the latest in a string of initiatives involving 3D printing and home construction. Housing shortages, exacerbated by the pandemic, climate change, and a skyrocketing housing market have put home ownership out of reach for many Americans. According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), for every $1,000 increase in the price of a home, 153,987 families are priced out of the market; in addition, the NAHB estimates that soaring lumber prices (up 300% since April 2020) have increased the average price of a single-family home by almost $36,000, making home ownership elusive for more than 5.5 million families.

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Habitat for Humanity partnered with 3D printing home construction company Alquist to build a 3D printed home in Williamsburg, VA. Image Courtesy of Habitat for Humanity

In addition to the Habitat for Humanity projects, others are exploring use of 3D printing for home construction. ICON, another large-scale 3D printer provider, recently teamed up with Lennar, one of the nation’s leading home builders, to build a community of affordable 3D printed homes in Austin, Texas, with ground breaking slated for later this year. And in Africa, the joint venture 14Trees is building Africa’s largest 3D printed affordable housing project in Kenya, aiming to build 52 houses.

Alquist 3D is committed to using 3D printing technology to lower the cost of housing and infrastructure in economically distressed and under-served communities. To do so, the firm leverages the COBOD BOD2 3D printer, which combines software, an open material platform, and a gantry system to print the exterior and interior walls of a house using a patented concrete mix.

The Habitat for Humanity Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg home is also equipped with a personal 3D printer that will allow the home owner to reprint everything from electrical outlets to cabinet knobs, further emphasizing the partners’ commitment to affordable home ownership.

To see Habitat for Humanity’s 3D printing house construction process in action, watch this video.