While I do not doubt of the potential of construction 3D printing, I have always been skeptical about the technology’s ability to build “low-cost 3D printed homes”. Do we not say that the thing with new technologies, is that their use comes with a certain price – which is not always affordable for all?
So, this principle was also the one that prevailed for me…until today, as construction 3D printing company Apis Cor has announced an Affordable Housing Cooperative Program (AHCP) for the design, development and production of low-cost, 3D-printed homes.
I like the way Apis Cor is evolving in this market as the more it advances, the more it positions itself as a company with a strong corporate social responsibility.
Backed by partners like Eden Village, SMASH, and VPG Enterprise, the program will define and plan the cost requirements, environments, and community needs of each project. First homes are expected for 2023.
Eden Village of Wilmington, NC will be a 31-unit tiny home community specially designed to provide permanent homes for chronically homeless individuals including patients of a local hospital. VPG Construction will bring its expertise in real estate management in the project. The company has a portfolio that includes over $12 million in residential real estate assets. Struggle for Miami’s Affordable and Sustainable Housing (SMASH) on the other hand, is a community land trust building power for housing justice to make housing a human right in Miami. Their leadership led to the Miami Housing Justice Agenda, a platform of values and policy proposals that, if adopted, would fulfill SMASH’s vision for a Miami where housing is a human right and everyone has a home.
“Affordable housing is a complex problem and it differs from city to city and state to state,” said Anna Cheniuntai, who leads the company where everyone can buy shares. “We know 3D-printing technology can be adapted to satisfy a wide range of needs, environments and specific building design and cost requirements. We created a cooperative program to innovate and scale the construction of affordable 3D-printed houses to contribute to society.”
Over the next five years, more than 4,100 new units are needed to meet growth in Wilmington, NC. University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s Center for Housing and Community Studies reports ‘half of all rental households in the county are cost-burdened, meaning they pay a disproportionate share — 30% or more — of their income on housing’. New Orleans will need to build 17,006 affordable units by 2029 to accommodate the city’s current population, according to the 2021 HousingNOLA annual report card, a press communication reads.
“In a market where land is prohibitively expensive like Miami, and where there are limited funds for housing production, the 3D printing technology of a company like Apis Cor is the kind of market disruption that could finally provide conscious builders with the means to meet the extraordinary demand for affordable housing in the county,” added Madriz.
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