Habitat for Humanity is looking to tackle the lack of affordable housing in Arizona by building its first 3D-printed home in the U.S.
The building site for the single-family home is located in the city of Tempe, according to a press release by Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona. Around 70 to 80 percent of the house will be printed, while the rest will be traditionally built.
Designed by the Scottsdale-based luxury architecture firm Candelaria Design, the home will have three bedrooms, two baths, 1,738 square feet of livable space, and is expected to be completed by the fall.
According to the press release, 3D-printed homes could pose a long-term solution to rising construction expenses such as materials and labor costs. In addition, using a 3D printer could allow Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona to build through risky high temperatures that would typically slow volunteer work.
The site of Habitat for Humanity’s 3D-printed home in Arizona.
In March, ABC15 reported that the amount of new builds was lagging behind the amount of people moving to Arizona, thus fueling the state’s housing affordability crisis.
“We’re not building at the rate of even keeping up with our growing population, let alone the amount of affordable housing—and housing to meet our current population,” Katie Gentry of the Arizona State University Morrison Institute of Public Policy was quoted in the report.
Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona is hoping to ease that affordability strain with 3D printing.
“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,” Jason Barlow, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona, said in the press release.