Virginia family gets keys to Habitat for Humanity's first 3D-printed home in the US

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: CNN

Virginia family gets keys to Habitat for Humanity's first 3D-printed home in the US

By Sara Smart, CNN

Updated 8:35 AM ET, Sun December 26, 2021



Members of Habitat for Humanity Peninsula and Greater Willamsburg, sponsors, and building partners welcome April Stringfield and her son to their new home.

(CNN) -- One Virginia family received the keys to their new 3D-printed home in time for Christmas.

The home is Habitat for Humanity's first 3D-printed home in the nation, according to a Habitat news release.

Janet V. Green, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg, told CNN it partnered with Alquist, a 3D printing company, earlier this year to begin the process.

The 1,200-square-foot home has three bedrooms, two full baths and was built from concrete.

The technology allowed the home to be built in just 12 hours, which saves about four weeks of construction time for a typical home.

{snip}

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/26/us/habitat-for-humanity-first-3d-home-trnd/index.html

---

Hat tip, WTOP, but they had an annoying autoplay video

[Hortensis]

1. "Stringfield's home also includes a personal 3D printer that will allow her to reprint anything

she may need, "everything from electrical outlet to trim to cabinet knobs," Green told CNN.

Someday for us I'd like to think. This technology is just getting started, all around the planet.



For now I'd be happy just to have the color formula for the paint on most of my walls. We did save it, of course, but over a decade ago...

[Basic LA]

2. Four weeks construction time for typical home?

I wish! Here in my neighborhood, demolition & construction takes over a year. And is it noisy!

[twodogsbarking]

23. Four months is fast. Our house was built in three months but

it was 34 years ago. Probably a year now.

[DENVERPOPS]

25. The construction industry

has found ways to build residences in less time, but the quality of the materials and construction itself have suffered immensely.
For instance, they no longer cut and solder copper pipe for the water system, but run flexible plastic tubing through out the home and just "crimp" on the connectors.........

[Bayard]

3. Wonderful!

Next, the Star Trek replicator. It will solve a whole bunch of the world's problems.

[calimary]

10. That would be COOL!!!

[COL Mustard]

15. Careful.

Someone might replicate TFG.

[sheshe2]

4. Recommended ⭐️⭐️⭐️

[moriah]

5. i totally get loving 3-D printing, and it gives ways to do many things...

... easier -- including even planning all the dimensions/doing the math behind designing a concrete home that can be assembled so quickly.

But 3D Printing is still usually done w/ plastics -- which means using them for cabinet knobs is potentially a bad idea -- for the planet, not just degassing of any fresh plastics.

I am thrilled for this family, and I hope they can take this approach for doing the design via 3d print modeling then upscaling to help people get into safe, study homes that can be assembled and built to code fast. I just remember seeing the first 3D printer I saw, my friends working to get it to do right to create what they wanted, and I immediately saw issues w/ them being used to do large objects (like trim work).

[BumRushDaShow]

7. It doesn't have to be "plastic"

Apparently they have biodegradable base materials - https://www.simplify3d.com/support/materials-guide/

For example from the above link, the most used is this - https://www.simplify3d.com/support/materials-guide/pla/

PLA

PLA is the go-to material for most users due to its ease-of-use, dimensional accuracy, and low cost.


Overview

Polylactic Acid, commonly known as PLA, is one of the most popular materials used in desktop 3D printing. It is the default filament of choice for most extrusion-based 3D printers because it can be printed at a low temperature and does not require a heated bed. PLA is a great first material to use as you are learning about 3D printing because it is easy to print, very inexpensive, and creates parts that can be used for a wide variety of applications. It is also one of the most environmentally friendly filaments on the market today. Derived from crops such as corn and sugarcane, PLA is renewable and most importantly biodegradable. As a bonus, this also allows the plastic to give off a sweet aroma during printing.

[certainot]

12. thanks!

[BumRushDaShow]

14. You are welcome

I have been sortof following this although not too deeply though. But every time I see some article about it - at least on the "large scale" when it comes to making larger parts, it's amazing how far they have come with it - and it is particularly heartening that they have been able to incorporate plant waste/renewables/recyclables into the "raw" starter materials.

I think in this story's case, the printer they provide can be used to make cabinet handles or door knobs, etc. (which I expect allows for getting "fancy" if a variety of computerized designs are available).

Alternately (not-3D printing related but could be at some point) - I remember seeing this posted on DU - https://www.designboom.com/technology/gjenge-makers-recycled-plastic-bricks-kenya-02-08-2021/

where plastic waste (discarded beverage bottles, containers, eating utensils, etc.) could be recycled and run through a process that mixes the shredded particles with sand, to make building blocks that are supposedly stronger than concrete.

[certainot]

17. for some years i helped an artist who used plant pulp fiber that was amazingly strong for its weight

drawing a blank now on the fiber type/plant but it was very fine and short. got mixed into a slurry, like making paper but also 3D objects, and then had to drain and dry. maybe another use for hemp.

i wonder if there is a way to use with it in 3D printing or something like it. as it drained though it would shrink but if the end dimensions were predictable there might be a lot of applications.

[BumRushDaShow]

18. Just from a physics perspective

a "rope" of a specific diameter using multiple strands will be stronger than a single solid one of the same diameter because the strands distribute the force and offer more flexibility.

From the "materials" link, there is apparently some wood-based fiber materials that are mixed into to make fibers for another type of composite base substance - https://www.simplify3d.com/support/materials-guide/wood-filled/

One of the plant-based fibers that I have seen being used in disposable dinnerware (and I have actually bought some of these) is sugarcane and/or bamboo (the waste materials after processing to make their main products). The former's waste can be converted into a pulp to make what they call "bagasse" - https://www.eccocane.org/why-sugarcane-bagasse

The bagasse as a fiber material is running parallel with the "PLA" (derived from corn) mentioned here- https://www.simplify3d.com/support/materials-guide/pla/

Although none of these plant-based alternatives are not "perfect", they are a huge improvement over crude oil-based materials.

[certainot]

22. ta, i'll check out links later

[BumRushDaShow]

6. Here's a full pic of the outside

Habitat for Humanity's blog entry for this - https://www.habitatpgw.org/habitat-for-humanity-peninsula-and-greater-williamsburg-dedicates-nations-first-ever-3d-printed-habitat-home-to-williamsburg-family/

Reading the blog description and mention of the concrete as the base material, I know many of the homes in Puerto Rico are concrete to withstand hurricanes.

IMHO, this is the "updated version" of these Sears kits -



Including the bungalows -



(the above Sears kit being one with a main floor and basement)

Builders would rather construct the $750K McMansions and then bulldoze them when no one can afford to move into them.

[karynnj]

9. A few years ago, one of the Sears homes was included in the House Tours

That preservation Burlington had. It was pretty nice considering when it was built.

[BumRushDaShow]

11. There are apparently many still out there

that have been added to and renovated, etc.

I remember in the HBO show "Boardwalk Empire" (which took place in the early '20s) when Agent Van Alden was building one for himself and family (although the show's prop catalogs showed the Bennett home kits despite the character referencing them as being from Sears and Roebuck) - https://searshomes.org/index.php/2018/03/13/boardwalk-empire-and-sears-kit-homes/



Found this article about one in TN that was renovated - https://www.knoxnews.com/story/shopper-news/powell/2018/06/19/extreme-fixer-upper-https-chartbeat-signin-powells-justin-bailey-restores-abandoned-craftsman/661509002/



I don't know what it will take to get the mindset out of the McMansions (because of the claim they are more "profitable" ) and back to reality. I know many seniors (and I am rapidly getting there) would appreciate a 1-story bungalow (with basement would be good too for storage, etc) if they want an alternative to apartment living.

[Marthe48]

8. Happy to think that Pres. Carter is alive to see this

What remarkable advances in technology in our lives!

[erronis]

13. He'd be on board, printer and all. Never to flinch from learning new things.

Last edited Sun Dec 26, 2021, 05:20 PM - Edit history (1)

President Carter is still the best role model of any President I've known - and I've known some from Truman to Kennedy (and Nixon, Bush Sr.).

[Marthe48]

16. He is a nuclear physicist

along with all of his other talents and attributes. Truly a man for all seasons, maybe one of the last Renaissance men we can look to for inspiration I've been around since Pres. Eisenhower.

[SKKY]

19. I with this technology would hurry up and become maintstream...

...I'd buy a 3D-printed concrete house in a second.

[FakeNoose]

20. A few interior shots are in the slide show - Nice!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CXufEUut-2W/

(click on the right arrow to start the slide show)

[MissMillie]

21. LOL... this is the best part

Stringfield's home also includes a personal 3D printer that will allow her to reprint anything she may need, "everything from electrical outlet to trim to cabinet knobs," Green told CNN.

It comes with its own "hardware store."

[twodogsbarking]

24. Probably cheaper than ink cartridges for a Canon printer.

[littlemissmartypants]

26. Thank you. ❤