3D Printed Homes in Northern VA? The Future of New Homes Construction.

Updates: 3D Printed Homes in Northern VA

• August 2022

I recently published a large industry overview of 3D printed homes in the US. It goes over the builders, materials, current pricing, future pricing hopes, materials and what is upcoming.

Please bookmark that article, it will be updated from time to time to reflect updates. Virginia’s first 2 completed prints were for low income housing.

One by Habitat for Humanity, another by Alquist with a grant for Virginia Housing.

The next wave of 3d printed homes is on the way. Contact us if you would like more info.

November 2021 Update: 3D Printing Arrives in Virginia

• Richmond welcomed the first 3D printed home in Virginia, being constructed starting in Summer of 2021.

The home is located on Carnation St in the Pine Hurst subdivision, about a 10 minute drive from downtown Richmond.

The Virginia Housing Development Authority provided a $500,000 grant for the home to be constructed, in partnership with Virginia Tech’s Housing Research Center.

VHDA is very interested to see the viability of the process, as housing shortages, affordability and environmental considerations are front and center in many real estate markets in Virginia.

Fill out the form to be notified of updates of when it will be available commercially in Northern VA.

Barring a setback, it appears that 3D homes will continue to advance and become another method of building homes. When will that happen? It is hard to say.

But this marks an impressive step forward for the new technology.

April 2021 Update

A small handful of 3d printed homes are currently being sold in the US, however have not yet reached us in Northern VA.

If the first few builders are successful in selling their homes in New York State & California, it should just be a matter of time until it begins to catch on nationwide.

To be notified when we have a builder 3d printing in Northern VA, send me a note at the bottom of the page.

Please note this could be anywhere from months away to years away, and will depend on when a developer decides to make the leap on the equipment needed and dive into the permitting process.

January 2020 Update

In January 2020, a company called SQ4D printed a 1,900 square foot home. The company is a subsidiary of SQ3D. The home was built in 48 hours, including 8 hours of printing.

SQ4D’s 3d printed home from above while under construction. The walls are fully 3d printed and roof, windows, doors and utilities will be added manually.

The company built the home near their home base of Long Island, NY. The home is an important feat in the saga of 3d printing becoming a reality for homebuyers and builders in Northern VA.

For starters, it is currently the largest known completed project in the US, clocking in at just under 2,000 square feet.

It also shows that there are multiple developers that are competing to bring robot assisted printing to the US. Competition means that the technology is gaining momentum.

Whether that momentum will continue or not will be up to the market demand.

November 2019

If you are interested in green home and eco friendly construction, you may have heard of 3D construction printing. It is exciting technology, with the potential to change an industry.

But will it catch on? Will 2020 be the year that we see 3D printed homes in Northern VA?

Time will tell, and at the end of 2020 I will update. Right now there are multiple companies that are offering printers, printing services, software and more.

Two of the biggest players in 3D printed homes are among those who have stated that their printers will be available commercially in 2020: Icon Build and Apis Cor.

A 3d printer making the walls of a test home. The printer is producing long strings of a concrete material in layers to build the home.
Icon’s Vulcan printer making walls from their “Lavacrete” material. The material is concrete based. But has a much cooler name.

So could 2020 be the year we see some form of a 3D printed home in Northern VA? It is possible.

A fully printed house is much farther out, but if builders are able to embrace the technology, a hybrid between printing and traditional construction could be a reality soon.

If you are in the market for new construction in Northern VA, this complete guide is a great resource. It also has current homes for sale.

The Building Process

Homes could one day be finished mostly – if not all – by machine.

A large robotic printer produces material of various kinds to build the structure, changing materials as it develops different elements of the home.

Concrete and concrete mixes are the most popular choice due to its strength and simplicity to produce.

In 2020 the homes will be built hybridly: foundation is poured the traditional way, and then the printer “builds” the concrete walls by creating and laying concrete bricks for the walls.

At various points during the printing process, structural and other elements are added by hand. This includes door frames, windows, roof, electrical, plumbing, etc.

The process has changed since it was first tested, and it will continue to evolve with time as more developers experiment with the equipment.

The First 3D Printed Home in the US

In 2018, the US had its first printed home built and permitted in Austin, TX.

A photo of a finished 3d printed home in. Smooth concrete floors were poured by humans, but the walls were built by a printer. You can see the layers of concrete painted white. Decorated with chairs, rugs, etc.
The inside of ICON Build’s first permitted 3d printed home.

The home was small, clocking in at 350 square feet. It was built by ICON, the maker of the Vulcan equipment line.

This modest home was a large accomplishment. Not only was it successfully created, but it made it through the state permitting process. In other words, the home is liveable and currently legally occupied.

This opens the floodgates for 3d printing to spread across the country. It sets a precedent: since one jurisdiction approved a 3d printed home, others could feel more comfortable not being the first.

Benefits of 3D Printing

Green building practices have gained popularity as the decades pass. As this trend continues, eco friendly building will only continue to be more in-demand.

3D printed homes have potential to offer many advantages over traditional structures.

First of all, the printers drastically limit waste. According to ICON, building a home the traditional way produces an average of 4 tons of various material waste.

Printing is very close to being an exact science. Once the printer is done with a project, it stops using material immediately and saves what is remaining for the next home.

Secondly, these homes are strong.

Concrete is a resilient material. And that could just be the beginning – future mixes of materials could be even stronger, making homes more resistant to natural disasters and general wear and tear.

A home that is under construction, built by a 3d printer. Rooms are circular, square and other hybrid shapes. Gray in color, and surrounded by desert in the background.
Apis Cor is another company attempting to distribute 3d printers for construction. This building under construction was built by Apis Cor in Dubai.

Homes will also be built much faster. For example, the printing itself on a 2,000 square foot house would take days. Comparatively, traditional building generally takes about a year or more.

Finally, it will reduce costs. The amount that printing could reduce costs remains to be seen, and likely will get lower as the technology advances.

What This Means for New Homes In Northern VA

We have a historically strong market. Northern VA also has lots of new homes and communities.

If 3D printing begins to catch on in the construction industry, then there will be a number of developers who will adopt the technology.

Should printed homes reach their full potential in the construction industry, new home building could be revamped in Northern VA and the homes you see being built will be of different material, different look, faster, and cheaper.

Of course, challenges exist. Some which are anticipated and others still to be discovered. 3D printed homes are just starting to be constructed in 2020.

Building multi-level, larger homes will need to be proven before it can take hold in our market as more than just a niche option.

Experts are split on whether it will catch on. In my opinion, it is a matter of when it will catch on, and to what degree.

Will a fully printed single family home become a reality in Northern VA in the near future? I think it is more likely to be print assisted but keep the human element.

Conclusion

Would you buy one of the first 3d printed homes?

I am an expert in new construction in Northern VA. If you have any questions about green building, builders in the area, or new homes for sale use the form below.

Thanks for your interest in 3D Printed Homes.

Note: I am continuing to track progress with this technology, as it approaches being available on a large scale in the DMV area.

Once the homes are commercially available, or there is a substantial update, I will email everyone who inquires.

However, due to the number of inquiries received, I will not be able to respond to all messages until then.

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Will Rodgers

Will Rodgers is a real estate expert, creator of this site and partner at the Alper Real Estate Group. Will has been sought after by many major publications for his expertise and creates sought after content for buyers, sellers and investors.