With the rising costs of real estate and rentals in recent years, the need for affordable housing solutions has been greater than ever. The researchers at the University of Maine perhaps have one with the first 3D printed house consisting entirely of bio-made materials.
The 600-square-foot home is a project by the University of Maine Advanced Structures and Composites Center. Its floors, walls, and roof have been 3D printed with an industrial polymer printer that uses wood fibers and bio-resins.
Four modules were printed at ASCC’s facilities and then transported to the site on a foundation outside ASCC. It took less than a day to do the full installation of the property, with the electricity being up and running within two hours.
The house features a living room, bedroom, workspace, and bathroom. It is fully recyclable and highly insulated with 100% wood insulation. The precision of the printing process also resulted in almost non-existent construction waste.
The ASCC’s team is now monitoring the house to see how it will react to weather elements. If everything checks out, there is hope to build more houses in the future.
“Unlike the existing technologies, the entire BioHome3D was printed, including the floors, walls, and roof. The biomaterials used are 100% recyclable, so our great-grandchildren can fully recycle BioHome3D,” said Dr. Habib Dagher, ASCC executive director.
