3D-printed homes, cheaper and faster to build, break ground in American Midwest
Building a home in less than a week for a fraction of the cost may sound unrealistic. That's why Sustainable Concrete Innovations out of Wapakoneta, Ohio held an open house this summer to allow industry professionals to tour the first completed 3D-printed home in the state.
Smoll calls the 3D-printing technology a "game changer" as Ohio needs more than 270,000 new housing units to meet current demand. Due to the housing shortage, home values in the Columbus area increased by an average of nearly 40 percent in 2023.
"Now instead of having a crew of four to six guys to build a house, two guys are printing the home," said Smoll. "A lot of the people coming out of high school today are very familiar with electronics."
Smoll said he was a skeptic, at first, of bringing the new product to Ohio's housing market. His team borrowed a printer that could cost up to $1 million for the project and had to create a mixture of concrete that could hold up to severe weather that comes to the Midwest. He said the 1,500 square-foot home that includes three bedrooms and two bathrooms is tornado and fire-resistant and some rooms can be used as a storm shelter.
"We've not financed anything like that, never appraised one before," said Drew Kantonen with Superior Credit Union out of Lima, Ohio after touring the printed home. "I think they've gone out on a limb a little bit and taken a chance because, right, no one is really familiar with 3D printing."
contacted a Columbus-based family who traveled 90 miles to see the home for themselves while house hunting.
"We need a yard. We need a space to let everyone be comfortable and free," Shawn Austin said from his two-bedroom apartment while sitting next to his wife, holding his newborn and giving commands to his German Shepherd. "The price continues to rise in the housing market, but the quality is not matching the sticker price. That's not a wise investment, at all."
Austin admits they've extended their plan to cramped apartment living even when rents continue to increase. They are now trying to save money to print their own home.
"The down payment in itself is like a wall," said Austin. "It's like a great wall."
Smoll said the cost to construct the completed home in Wapakoneta came to $160 per square foot. He compares that to a traditionally built home that he estimates as $200 per square foot and calculates, at least, a 20-percent savings.
asked Smoll if these savings would be passed onto a buyer as 3D-printed homes are eligible for a 30-year fixed mortgage and can appraise similarly to a traditional build.
"I think that that's the flawed part. We're all driven by profit," said Smoll. "Our target is to try to build more affordable housing."
is now working with the Land Bank in Lima to print homes in empty urban lots. He said increasing density in such areas and reducing home size could also drastically reduce costs.
"It's literally possible to have a home that you own for the price of a car payment," he said.
After the company printed its first home, Sustainable Concrete Innovations purchased a $400,000 printer from Dutch manufacturer Cybe in the fall. Cybe's Chief Operating Officer Kevin van Moll told Spotlight on America that he's sold six printers in the U.S., so far. Two are located in Texas and three in Florida. He said clients in Miami are using their printer to create seawalls.
Cybe is now looking to open an office in the U.S. next year as company leaders foresee more 3D house printing opportunities.
Spotlight on America asked Smoll about claims that this new technology is taking jobs away.
"A few people have said that," said Smoll. "I've been in this business for over 30 years and the reality is the jobs are already going away."
