April Stringfield of Williamsburg, Virginia, made history last week when she and her 13-year-old son were given the keys to their new 3D-printed home just in time for Christmas by a local Habitat for Humanity chapter.
“My son and I are so thankful,” Stringfield said during a Dec. 21 Habitat for Humanity Facebook live stream event outside her new house. “I always wanted to be a homeowner. It’s like a dream come true.”
Habitat for Humanity collaborated with 3D printing start-up Alquist to construct the 1,200-square-foot, three-bedroom home, a first for the organization.
In July, construction crews began printing the house’s concrete walls, saving around 15% on construction expenses.
“This project is a game-changer for Habitat for Humanity,” Janet V. Green, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg, told WTKR. “We’re selling an affordable home to a family four days before Christmas, and at the same time, we’re finding solutions to build more efficient homes.”
Building houses with large-scale 3D printing has become a more efficient way of doing it across the country.
According to Habitat for Humanity, Stringfield’s home was completed in just 12 hours thanks to the technology.
Zachary Mannheimer, CEO, and Founder of Alquist complimented Virginia for adopting 3D printing as a way to develop more affordable housing.
The Commonwealth’s Housing Development Authority awarded a $500,000 grant in June for a 3D printer to be used in the construction of a home in Richmond, Virginia.
“What you see … is four years of blood, sweat, and tears of figuring out how to make this happen,” Mannheimer said in a written statement. “Virginia is the leader in 3D printing home construction, hands down.”
Alquist, according to Habitat for Humanity, puts a 3D printer in the kitchen of every home he builds, including Stringfield’s.
The company also provided her with a downloaded computer file that allows her to use her 3D printer to build light switch covers, knobs, and other interchangeable parts.
To be eligible for her one-of-a-kind home, Stringfield had to complete 300 volunteer hours and agree to pay an interest-free mortgage.
She is excited to create new memories there. “I’m excited to make new memories in Williamsburg and especially in a house, a home,” Stringfield told CNN affiliate WTKR.
“[It’s] someplace I can call home and … give my son that backyard that he can play in and also my puppy to run around the yard,” she said.
