Low Carbon 3D Printed Homes - A Sustainable Solution

With record-breaking numbers of families that cannot afford a place to call home and the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions, low-carbon 3D printed homes may be the solution everyone has been searching for.

The Problems

Record Breaking Numbers of Families Who Cannot Afford Homes:

• In the United States, there is a shortage of 7 million affordable homes for the nation’s 10.8 million plus families that fall into the “extremely low-income” category.

• There is NO state or county in the United States where a renter that works full-time making mimimum wage can afford a two-bedroom apartment

• 70% of extremely low-income families pay more than half their income on rent

Why it Matters:

• Housing is the key to reducing intergenerational poverty and increasing economic mobility

• Increased access to affordable housing is the most cost effective strategy for reducing childhood poverty

• The shortage of affordable housing costs the American economy about $2 trillion a year in lower wages and productivity

  Statistics from the National Low Income Housing Coalition

Source: National Low Income Housing Coalition

Climate Impact of Residential Construction

• New home construction in the US creates over 50 million tons of embodied carbon emissions annually, equivalent to the emissions from 138 natural gas–fired power plants or the yearly emissions from entire countries such as Norway, Peru, and Sweden.

Why it Matters:

• Printed homes could eliminate over 440 million tons of carbon emissions if they comprise 40% of California’s housing needs by 2030.

• Home builders can take immediate steps to achieve 30 to 50 percent emissions reductions at cost equal with currently available tools and materials.

  Statistics from RMI

Source: RMI

The Solution: Low carbon 3D printed homes

The emergence of 3D printing technology is making its way into home building via additive manufacturing. It has been demonstrated that 3D printing residential buildings can carry significantly lower carbon than traditional construction methods. This new method of making homes could provide afforable, efficient, and low-carbon housing to growing populations.

How it Works: Using additive manufacturing, structures are constructed by 3D printers layer by layer, following digital models. Concrete is pushed through a mobile printing nozzle onto a surface, solidifying as it is laid down to slowly create the walls and roofs of the homes.

“This 3D-Printed House Is the First to Be Made Entirely From Bio-Based Materials” -Architectural Digest

Companies pioneering this technology include Icon, SQ4D, and Mighty Buildings. The printed concrete or polymer designs simplify the labor-intensive processes of framing, insulation, and finishing. Additionally, customization of architectural designs is more convenient compared to standard manufactured units.

The sustainability and economic benefits are the most significant advantages over current construction methods. Architect Sam Ruben, an early adopter of 3D printing for eco-homes, states that the new method of 3D printing homes can reduce lifecycle emissions by over 50% compared to standard building techniques. Additionally, traditional construction methods generate excessive scrap materials that go into layers— whereas 3D printing only deposits the materials needed for each layer. Mighty Buildings believes printed homes could eliminate over 440 million tons of carbon emissions if they comprise 40% of California’s housing needs by 2030.

The largest benefit to the technology is speed, with homes being move-in ready in days rather than weeks or months. A average SQ4D home is printed in 8-12 hours of machine time, which means less energy consumed over the construction process. The speed of this process has financial benefits, too, cutting estimated construction expenses by up to 30%. These cost savings will make 3D printed homes more accessible to low income groups.

Despite all these advantages, there are barriers that remain. The printed homes still require many finishing touches that cannot be done with 3D printing: plumbing, electrical, windows, and roofing. The future development of these finishing systems via 3D printing will maximize the technology’s benefits.

If technical and regulatory challenges can be overcome, additive construction has the potential to achieve significant reductions in emissions. Given the projected addition of 2 billion new urban residents by 2050 worldwide, the use of low-carbon 3D printed homes might become a preferred sustainable construction method, particularly in emerging developing nations. The urgent need for dense, low-carbon and low-cost housing solutions makes 3D printing’s advantages stand out.

Statistics from Happy Eco News