Habitat for Humanity Building an Affordable 3D Printed Home in Arizona

Once again, 3D printing has proven its worth in the field of construction. Nonprofit housing organization, Habitat for Humanity, has started a new 3D-printed home in the city of Tempe, Arizona. The three-bedroom, two-bath, single-family house will be made using COBOD’s BOD2 printer and with the help of Peri, well-known for its previous experience making two and three-floor 3D printed buildings in Europe. This marks the first time the nonprofit has made a 3D-printed home in the US and is hoped to be a solution to the housing crisis in Arizona.

3D printing construction is an industry that has been growing rapidly in the past few years. Just in 2021, we have already seen the first 3D printed home to go on the market in the US, multi-home 3D printed projects in Texas and California, a 3D printed bio-habitat made out of soil in Italy and more. Additionally, it is being recognized for its ability to address a number of humanitarian issues, such as homelessness. It is for this reason that Habitat for Humanity chose to use the technology to help with their work in Arizona.

The building site including COBOD’s BOD2 Printer (photo credits: COBOD)

As you may or may not know, Habitat for Humanity is is a nonprofit housing organizing working to bring housing solutions to the poorest communities in the world, aiming to address the lack of decent housing. They work around the world and and in all 50 states in the United States. According to the press release, Habitat turned to 3D printing as they were looking for scalable, affordable home-ownership solutions. Notably in the Phoenix metro area where the lack of affordable housing is at an all-time high (reflecting a trend that is also being seen throughout the World).

The 3D-Printed Home in Arizona

For this particular project, they will be using a BOD2 printer from COBOD to make a single-family house. Designed by Candelaria Design Associates, LLC, it has a liveable space of about 1,722 square feet (160qm). It will have three bedrooms and two bathrooms, they have not yet specified the number of floors but given the collaboration with PERI, it should be expected to be a multi-story home. About 70-80% of the home will be 3D printed including internal and extern walls. The nonprofit is also taking advantage of 3D printings many advantages to make the home more sustainable. They aim to have the home be solar ready and Habitat Central Arizona is pursuing LEED® Platinum certification and IBHS FORTIFIED Home™ designation.

What is particularly interesting about this project is that this is not just a demonstration home. The house will be completed in early Fall, significantly faster than a house made with traditional methods. Furthermore, a Habitat selected family will live there, with occupancy possible as soon as October 2021. Using 3D printing opens up many possibilities in States where lack of housing has driven up prices, making it impossible for many to afford their own home.

Jason Barloq, president and CEO of Habitat Central Arizona, certainly agrees. Talking about the decision to turn to 3D printing, he commented, “This is really a moonshot opportunity for Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona. When we consider the housing issues facing Arizona, the need for affordable homeownership solutions becomes clear. If we can deliver decent, affordable, moer energy-efficient homes at less cost, in less time, and with less waste, we think that could be a real game-changer just think of the implications.” You can find out more about the project in the press release HERE.

What do you think of Habitat for Humanity’s plan to build a 3D printed home in Arizona? Let us know in a comment below or on our Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn pages! Sign up for our free weekly Newsletter here, the latest 3D printing news straight to your inbox!