![]() When she was informed that her house would be built with a 3D printer, she said she was nervous because the method was so rarely used. She also had concerns about having a house made out of concrete. Stringfield, as a future homeowner, said she was in doubt at first. He also said many builders lack education on the 3D-printing process, which prevents more sites from using it. Weather can be a big obstacle, which can halt a project if conditions aren’t suitable. ![]() While a 3D printer provides a fast and effective method of building, there are some challenges. Cement also provides better protection for homes against mold, termites and moisture compared to wood, he said. NBC News r eported that lumber costs rose by about 154 percent in May 2021 due to shortages of materials and labor. Habitat for HumanityĪndersen said he thinks 3D printing will eventually become the go-to method for building rather than with wood because it’s a more efficient way to build. Habitat for Humanity’s first 3D-printed house in Williamsburg, Va. He said he’s completed about 40 percent of a home in just under six months by using one 3D-printing machine, compared to completing a project within six to 12 months using the industry’s standard building practices. While the machine is printing, it requires little supervision or staff on the site, which prevents injuries and saves costs on workers’ compensation, said Kirk Andersen, director of operations for the New York-based 3D-printing company SQ4D. During the process, concrete is extruded from a large machine into layers that form the walls, foundation and footing of the home. Using 3D printing to build homes provides numerous benefits, including a decrease in construction time due to the machine’s efficiency. “What really drives us is that mission for everyone to have a safe, affordable place to live,” she said, “and we’re also interested in multigenerational wealth being developed through homeownership, which is one of the primary mechanisms for wealth generation in our country.” By using concrete to construct homes with a 3D printer, it saves Alquist up to 15 percent on building expenses. It costs approximately $150,000 to construct a typical home with wood. Tawkiyah Jordan, senior director of housing and community strategy for Habitat for Humanity, said the organization adopted this method of building to meet the need to innovate, while also keeping high-quality homes affordable. Alquist 3D CEO Zach Mannheimer with new Habitat for Humanity homeowner April in front of her new home. Organizations like Habitat for Humanity are betting that 3D printing could help alleviate the increased demand for low-cost housing. ![]() The report also found that the lack of affordable housing is prevalent in communities of color with 71 percent of Black, extremely low-income renters spending more than half of their income on housing. ![]() Consociate MediaĪccording to a March 2020 report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, extremely low-income renters - households with incomes at or below the poverty level or 30 percent of the area median income - face a housing shortage of 7 million available and affordable rental homes. The printer head of a giant 3D printer begins laying cement for the foundation of a Habitat for Humanity home. Initiated between a partnership with Alquist, a 3D-printing construction company, it is the organization’s effort to confront the nation’s affordable housing crisis, which increased due to multiple factors including the heightened costs of materials during the pandemic and a booming demand on the housing market. Habitat for Humanity selected her home as its first 3D-printed project. “It’s unbelievable,” Stringfield, 35, said. She and her teenage son just moved into their new, 1,200-square-feet-home in Williamsburg, Virginia, constructed with the help of a 3D printer. ![]()
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