The dream of homeownership met the concrete reality of technological progress at a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a neighborhood of 18 affordable homes, with four of them being built with the help of a cutting-edge 3D printer.
The groundwork for the construction was laid by the Corporation to Develop Communities of Tampa (CDC of Tampa’s), a local nonprofit promoting affordable housing, among other initiatives. The CDC used a $500,000 grant from Hillsborough County to purchase a 3D printer that can construct walls of a house, followed by a $2.4 million grant from the county for construction of the neighborhood’s homes, located just north of Sligh Avenue in the East Lake-Orient Park community.
Replacing the sounds of hammer-on-nail banging with the soft hum and hiss of mechanical machinery and using a digital blueprint, a large, robotic 3D printer precisely extrudes a concrete mixture layer by layer. This automated process forms a house’s walls, with the printer’s computer-controlled movements ensuring the material is deposited according to the architectural design. According to proponents, this method significantly accelerates construction compared to traditional techniques, resulting in savings that can benefit homebuyers. Building with 3D-printing technology is also touted as more storm-resistant and energy-efficient.
Acceptance of 3D building techniques in the construction industry is happening, with projects like CDC of Tampa’s creating credibility as a construction method that can cut costs to support affordable housing.
According to Will Crawford, CDC of Tampa’s acquisitions and special projects manager, there is growing interest from local officials across the state as well as policy makers in Tallahassee in what is rising from the dirt along Knoll Pine Way. “We need that support to move forward with other projects,” he said, adding, “It’s a new technology and there are going to be changes with AI.”
The homes CDC of Tampa is building are 1,200-square-foot houses that will feature three bedrooms and two bathrooms and offer a genuine opportunity for families earning 80 percent or less of the area’s median income who yearn for a roof of their own over their heads. According to U.S. Federal Reserve data, the median income for Hillsborough County is pegged at $76,528 in the latest estimate, released last year.
Besides the CDC project, a commercial builder, Click Print Home 3D Home Printing Company (CPH3D), is also using 3D technology to build homes in the Tampa Bay area.
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