As the United States grapples with a significant housing shortage, new technologies are emerging to address the issue—one of which is 3D-printed homes.
Azure Printed Homes, based in Southern California, has developed a 3D-printing process that can produce homes at a cost of approximately $35,000.
These homes are constructed from recycled materials, including plastic water bottles and food containers, along with a polymer resin reinforced with fiberglass. This approach reduces the need for traditional building materials like lumber, potentially cutting both costs and environmental impact.
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The production process eliminates much of the on-site labor involved in traditional construction by using automation to speed up the building timeline. According to the company, this method allows homes to be constructed 70 percent faster and 30 percent more cost-effectively than conventional techniques.
However, the innovation could spell trouble for California's construction industry, with less need for workers potentially affecting the job market, as well as wider ramifications for industries that rely on building for their business, such as lumber.
According to the most recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of August 2024, there were approximately 8.28 million people employed in the construction industry in the United States. This is the highest number since the beginning of the 21st century.
The U.S. is also the largest producer and consumer of lumber globally; as of 2023 there were aproximately 18,000 logging workers in the industry.
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Newsweek has contacted Azure and the California Building Industry Association for comment via email and online contact form, respectively.
At Azure's production facility, a massive 3D printer constructs the exterior of each home by extruding molten plastic in a continuous, seamless layer. The result is a structure that is not only leakproof and insect-resistant, it can also be made in different sizes.
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"We are thrilled to be recognized for revolutionizing the construction industry with sustainable and affordable housing solutions," said Ross Maguire, CEO of Azure Printed Homes in a statement earlier this year.
Azure is not alone in its quest to tackle the housing crisis, from other low-cost manufactured solutions to working with underutilized land, there are plenty of ideas being suggested.
These innovations are sorely needed. According to real-estate company Zillow, the housing deficit in the U.S. reached 4.5 million homes in 2022, up from 4.3 million the previous year.
Five of the 10 cities facing the most severe housing shortages are in California, including Los Angeles, where Azure is headquartered. Rising home prices in these areas have made homeownership increasingly unattainable for many Americans, underscoring the urgent need for alternative solutions.
Azure said that they can deliver homes within just four weeks, thanks to the advanced 3D-printing technology. Customers can even design their homes online through a configurator, and the printed units are prefabricated and delivered directly to the buyer's site.
Over the weekend, Azure was able to showcase its innovative 3D-printed housing at small-home expo TinyFest in the Bay Area, where many were impressed by the idea of the affordable home solution.
Innovations like this are also introduced with the backdrop of the upcoming election, where housing is predicted to be a key issue for voters.
In "Housing Performance and the Electorate," a study published in early 2023, researchers analyzed home prices and election results at a nationwide level over each of the last six presidential contests.
The report found that homeowners in counties where prices had climbed in the four years before an election were more likely to "vote-switch" to the incumbent party. Counties with poorer price performance, on the other hand, were more likely to vote for the challenging party.
The 2023 study also reported that the relationship between home prices and voting behavior was more significant if prices had increased over the last year before a presidential election.
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