Habitat For Humanity Building 1st 3D-Printed Home In Tempe

TEMPE, AZ — Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona is building its first-ever 3D-printed home in Tempe.

The organization is constructing a three-bedroom, two-bath, single-family home in the area that includes more than 1,700 square feet of livable space on a lot the city of Tempe purchases for affordable housing.

The home will be constructed using 3D printing and traditional construction methods to create a more cost-effective way to construct affordable housing in the future, the city said.

“This is really a moonshot opportunity for Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona,” said Jason Barlow, president and CEO of Habitat Central Arizona, in a statement. “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. Just think of the implications.”

Around 70 percent of the Tempe home is 3D printed, including all internal and external walls, with the remainder built in a more traditional fashion, the city said.

Habitat is building the 3D-printed home, which is located on the 600 block of west 19th Street, in addition to 15 other homes across four city lots, constructed in a traditional manner.

"Our PERI 3D construction printing team is incredibly proud to print this home in Tempe for Habitat for Humanity,” said Thomas Imbacher, managing director innovation and marketing of the PERI Group, in a statement. “Since 2016, PERI has been working intensively on the development of 3D construction printing solutions for residential construction. In 2020, PERI realized the first ever 3D-printed house in Germany with a BOD2 printer, followed shortly afterwards by the largest 3D-printed apartment building in Europe to date. The 3D-printing project in Tempe is now continuing this success story in the USA.”

The 3D-printed material comes from German company PERI, which shipped its 3D printer to the U.S. in March and began printing portions of the Tempe home in May, the city said.

“Tempe is known for innovation and this ground-breaking project aligns perfectly with our goal to identify new solutions that accelerate the growth of affordable and workforce housing in our city,” said Tempe Mayor Corey Woods in a statement. “Working with valued partners, we want to ensure that everyone who wants to live in Tempe can do so. Beyond our city borders, this project can serve as a model for other communities as we all work to meet the critical needs of families who truly are the faces of this growing housing affordability crisis.”

More via the city of Tempe.