Can 3D printing help solve the housing crisis?
Amid a growing U.S. housing crisis, Azure Printed Homes, Inc. a Calif.-based company that makes 3D-printed homes using recycled polymers, says it is expanding operations by more than 100 percent. Azure, which says each of its homes repurposes over 150,000 plastic bottles, aims to fill the growing need for affordable and sustainable dwellings throughout the U.S. The company says it can build and deliver units within three to four weeks of order, with costs starting around $39,000 per unit.
Azure's "eco-friendly" units, which it says are made with recycled polymers and fiberglass, are ideal for rental developments, homeowners needing additional space for multifamily use or for rental opportunities. Also, the company is targeting communities requiring fast and economical access to temporary housing.
“Regulation is moving quickly in support of the ability to add accessory dwelling units (ADUs) to existing multifamily projects, with California passing SB 1211 to allow up to eight detached ADUs per each development,” said Azure co-founder Gene Eidelman at a recent conference. “However, the ability to construct and install these units quickly and sustainably is of vital importance as well. These are the primary factors that are spurring our need and opportunity to ramp up our manufacturing facilities to 24/7 operation.”
“While multiple small home providers are trending toward 3D construction, many are constructed with concrete, which contributes both directly and indirectly to greenhouse gases,” Eidelman added.
In addition to Azure’s expanding growth at its Los Angeles headquarters, the company is also expanding in Colorado with a forthcoming 20,000-square-foot factory in the Denver area that will open in 2025.
