Habitat for Humanity celebrates Pennsylvania’s first 3D printed home in Boalsburg
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Habitat broke ground in Boalsburg for Pennsylvania’s first 3D-printed home.
- X-HAB 3D will print exterior concrete walls using a mobile robotic arm.
- Partners hope the method will cut labor and material costs to expand affordable housing.
The Habitat for Humanity of Greater Centre County celebrated a groundbreaking Wednesday afternoon in Boalsburg for the first 3D-printed home in Pennsylvania — an innovative project they hope will help address the affordable housing crisis locally and beyond.
The house, located on Chambers Alley in Harris Township, will be constructed with 3D concrete printed exterior walls. Although the lot is still currently empty, the construction will begin within a week. The 3D-printed home came to fruition thanks to a collaboration between the Habitat for Humanity of Greater Centre County, X-HAB 3D, a construction technology company based in State College, and the Centre County Housing and Land Trust.
X-HAB 3D is providing the printing system that will print the exterior walls for the house. Sven Bilén, a co-founder and lead for systems engineering at X-HAB 3D, said he hopes the new technology will address the housing crisis.
“It is not the technology that’s going to solve all those things but it is a technology which is really going to contribute to essentially being able to provide housing for so many families and people around the world,” Bilén said.
The equipment looks like a small trackhoe with a special printing arm that the concrete extrudes from, Stephanie Fost, executive director for the Habitat for Humanity of Greater Centre County, said. It will drive around the lot and print within the footprint of the home. Information sessions on the equipment will be held for the community in the future, she said.
Chad Feather, president of the Habitat for Humanity of Greater Centre County board, said Wednesday that homeownership is out of reach for a lot of people due to the rising costs of material and labor shortages. That’s why this specific project is so important, he said.
“This project represents the perfect intersection of our unchanging mission and bold new technology. Partnering with X-HAB 3D allows us to explore a scalable solution with hopes to make home construction faster, more cost effective and more sustainable. This is a serious step forward in how we address the housing crisis. We believe that 3D printing is a tool that can drastically lower the cost of construction, allowing us to serve more families in the future,” he said.
Fost said the homeowners are earning the home through sweat equity hours, financial literacy and being active partners in the project.
“This homeowner represents the dignity and hope that Habitat for Humanity hopes to provide every single day. This home in Boalsburg will be the foundation for your family’s future, stability and success. We are honored to have you as partners, and we know that this house will become a loving and safe home,” she said.
But this is when the real work begins, Fost said. Technology may be building the walls but the community is what will “fill them with life.” Volunteers and donors are still needed to help with different aspects of the build, like framing interior walls, painting and yard work. She encouraged everyone to visit them and sign up to volunteer or make a donation.
The three bedroom, one and a half bath house will take about nine to 10 months to complete. Fost anticipates it will be done by early next summer.
The new homeowner said this moment meant everything to her and her daughter. Seeing their future home come to life is a dream come true, she said, and thanked everyone involved in the project.
“You’re helping us build more than a house. You’re giving us a fresh start, filled with love, happiness and new beginnings,” she said.
