3D-Printed Housing

Habitat for Humanity is leading the way on innovative housing solutions. The Tempe branch is exploring 3D-printed ranch-style homes to address a growing need for housing. The flagship structure demonstrates the efficiency and beauty of combining conventional and 3D printer construction.

Habitat for Humanity is leading the way on innovative housing solutions. The Tempe branch is exploring 3D-printed ranch-style homes to address a growing need for housing. The flagship structure demonstrates the efficiency and beauty of combining conventional and 3D printer construction.

It takes a village to print a 3D house

The three-bedroom, two-bathroom house was designed by Scottsdale-based Candelaria Designs and printed by PERI group of Germany using a Build On Demand (BOD2) printer. More than 20 sponsors provided funding.

The house contains 1,738 square feet of living space and a total of 2,433 square feet for the project, reports the nonprofit. Of the total square footage, 70-80% of the house will be 3D printed.

The BOD2 works alongside construction crews and volunteers. It uses the gantry principle, which allows it to move in any position within the structure, printing inner and outer walls in thin layers. As it prints, human workers can continue their electrical, plumbing and other tasks. Humans will also install the ceilings. Construction is scheduled for completion in October 2021.

Explore Habitat for Humanity’s earth-friendly passivehaus design.

For now, the BOD2 house at 677 W. 19th St. will be one-of-a-kind. The 15 adjacent homes will be traditional builds on four city lots. Habitat for Humanity has made it clear that more 3D-printed homes are of interest.

The project is a direct response to an acute affordable housing crisis in the area, reports the nonprofit. About 20% of renters are considered extremely low income. Of them, 75% of households are severely cost burdened. The phrase is used by the National Low Income Housing Coalition to describe renters spending more than 30% of their income on housing. The state would need more than 136,000 affordable units to safely house extremely low-income renters.

Scalable, affordable and efficient

Long term, Habitat for Humanity sees hybrid builds as “a scalable, cost-effective homeownership solution to address the affordable housing crisis facing communities nationwide,” per a statement on the organization’s blog.

“This is really a moonshot opportunity for Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona,” said Jason Barlow, president and CEO of Habitat Central Arizona.“When we consider the housing issues facing Arizona, the need for affordable homeownership solutions becomes clear.If we can deliver decent, affordable, more energy-efficient homes at less cost, in less time and with less waste, we think that could be a real game-changer. Think of the implications.”

Yardi and our clients are Energized for Good! Read about our recent Habitat for Humanity build in North Carolina.

SHARE POST

Facebook LinkedIN

AUTHOR

Erica Rascón specializes in online content creation and social media. She joined Yardi in 2011 after receiving her bachelor's degree from Kennesaw State University and serving in the Peace Corps. Erica's interests include sustainability, philanthropy, and the arts.

Recent articles

AI platform for affordable housing and PHA

Yardi Virtuoso Enterprise: AI platform for affordable housing & PHA

Virtuoso Enterprise is robust, and there’s a lot to unpack. Get an inside look at how this AI platform for affordable housing supports your people and puts time back into your day.

10 / 23 / 26

property manager looking at icons of property management tools

Best property management software in 2027

Find property management software that fits your portfolio today and supports its next stage of growth. This 2027 guide compares 10 leading platforms to help you narrow your shortlist, weigh features against costs and spot potential differentiators in accounting, automation, support and scalability before committing.

Analyst reviewing performance charts on two screens

Claude connector for Virtuoso: 4 questions to ask your CRE data

Four prompts show what happens when Claude reads your Virtuoso Enterprise data directly: scenario forecasts, budget variances, tenant backup and portfolio trends.