Coming Soon: Los Angeles’ First 3D-Printed Tiny Home!
Experience the Making of a 3D-Printed Tiny Home Combatting LA's Housing Crisis
Check out this 3D-printed tiny home being built to tackle LA’s housing crisis!
Los Angeles, known for its glitz and glamour, is about to witness the birth of a groundbreaking architectural marvel. Brace yourselves, because the city is about to welcome its first permitted 3D-printed tiny home! But wait, this isn’t your typical run-of-the-mill project. It’s being built by an unexpected team, the Woodbury University School of Architecture’s students and faculty.
Who needs the big players like Icon and Lennar or local startup Azure when the innovative minds at Woodbury University are taking charge? Their creation, known as the Solar Futures House, is a compact 425-square-foot unit that is set to challenge the norms of conventional housing.
It all started when Woodbury University submitted their cutting-edge design to the US Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon competition. The goal? Design and construct zero-energy buildings. And boy, did Woodbury deliver! Their ingenious design features 3D-printed exterior walls, which serve as a solution to the housing crisis that Los Angeles is facing.
With their futuristic design catching the eye of the judges, Woodbury University secured a place as one of the competition’s finalists. They even received a generous $50,000 award, which kick-started the construction phase in September 2022 on their Burbank campus. The finishing touch is planned for the end of 2023.
But what sets this tiny home apart from the rest? For starters, it will be the first in Los Angeles to be officially permitted. The estimated cost for this groundbreaking project is between $250,000 to $350,000, including sponsorships and the generous contribution of pro bono work.
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To bring their vision to life, Woodbury University joined forces with startup Emergent 3D and utilized COBOD’s popular construction printer. This cutting-edge technology enabled them to print the concrete walls of the tiny home over a three-day period.
But let’s talk about the home itself. The Solar Futures House boasts an open studio apartment floor plan, complete with a bathroom, kitchen, living room, and bedroom. Think of it as a well-designed puzzle, with recognizable spaces emerging among the printed concrete and wooden roofing.
Now, some may wonder why a 425-square-foot home takes a lengthy 15 months to complete. Well, my friends, it’s no ordinary project. The architecture school justifies the timeline by citing the experimental nature of the endeavor and the need for extensive research and fundraising. Patience is a virtue, after all!
Although you won’t find a line of prospective residents clamoring to move into this avant-garde home, Woodbury University plans to use it as a “living educational laboratory.” And why not? It’s a perfect opportunity for immersive learning and testing for both students and faculty. Who said education couldn’t be stylish?
Woodbury University’s venture into 3D-printed construction is just the beginning. Other esteemed institutions, such as the University of Maine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center, are diving headfirst into this revolutionary technology. In fact, the University of Maine has already built its own 3D-printed tiny home using sawmill-discarded wood waste pellets and has plans for a future development of nine homes.
The journey towards affordable and sustainable construction has taken a bold step forward in Los Angeles. Woodbury University’s Solar Futures House is just one shining example of the incredible potential that 3D printing holds for the housing industry. So, keep your eyes peeled for more exciting projects in the future!
What are your thoughts on 3D-printed homes? Would you consider living in one? Share your opinions in the comments below!
