3D Printed Habitat Home

The three-bedroom home with two full baths is the first-ever completed 3D printed Habitat house in the nation.

Williamsburg, VA – In December 2021, April Stringfield and her 13-year-old son moved into the home, which Habitat for Humanity – Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg built with the help of construction company Alquist 3D.

Habitat for Humanity was founded in 1976 to make home ownership more affordable for people in need of housing, typically by building new houses with the help of volunteers and the future homeowners themselves.

Stringfield logged 300 sweat equity or volunteer hours, one of the requirements of the Habitat Homebuyer Program. Some were spent actually helping the crew on the construction site and others were recorded at the Habitat ReStore in Williamsburg, VA. Stringfield, employed full time for five years at a nearby hotel, will pay the no-interest mortgage back to the local Habitat affiliate—funds earmarked to go toward building future homes for qualified families.

Habitat homebuyers must have income between 45-80% of the area median income, excellent credit and the ability to pay for their new Habitat home. Habitat homes are sold at no profit with a zero-interest equivalent, 20- to 30-year mortgage.

Habitat for Humanity – Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg began the project on a hot day in July 2021. The construction crew printed the 1,200 square foot home in 28 hours—reducing the standard construction schedule by at least four weeks.

Alquist’s use of concrete for the walls saved an estimated 15% per square foot in building costs. Concrete better retains temperature, saving on heating and cooling costs, and is more resistant to tornado and hurricane damage.

Alquist installs a 3D printer in the kitchen of every home it builds. Stringfield will receive a downloadable computer file that will allow her to print knobs, light switch covers and other replaceable parts with her very own 3D printer.

When Stringfield talks about buying the first-ever 3D printed Habitat for Humanity home on the East Coast, it has nothing to do with the snazzy technology that printed the walls. She is excited to become a first-time homeowner because of her 12-year-old son, who became a seventh-grader last fall.

Yes, she looks forward to helping him decorate his bedroom with superhero favorites and wrestling stars. And having a good-sized backyard will be a great place for him to play with their Shih Tzu puppy, Tink.

But Stringfield is more focused on the perseverance it took for her to secure this home, an example she hopes will help her son realize that all things are possible.

“My son and I are so thankful,” Stringfield said. “I always wanted to be a homeowner. It’s a dream come true.”

Now that Stringfield’s 3D-printed home has shown Habitat for Humanity the benefits of the tech, the nonprofit is eager to use it to construct more houses.

Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity builds and finances 2, 3, and 4-bedroom homes and townhomes. Over the next decade, Asheville Habitat will empower 1,000 families in the region to improve their housing and build strong, stable futures. Learn more about the Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity homeownership program at www.ashevillehabitat.org.