Mighty Buildings is demonstrating that the future of 3D-printed homes is bright. The California-based company creates prefabricated 3D houses that are 99% less waste-generating, four times stronger than traditional structures, and twice as fast to build. Mighty Buildings is making it clear that the efficiency advantages of this type of neighborhood are undeniable for a greener future.
In a world where 40% of the world’s carbon footprint comes from construction, these changes are likely to significantly impact carbon emissions. But Mighty Buildings is not just about material efficiency and footprint reduction. The company also wants to eliminate labor hours on site, which reduces labor costs and therefore makes the homes far more affordable to buy.
Each home is made of Light Stone, an alternative to concrete that uses less carbon dioxide. The building blocks are assembled off-site at the company’s factory in Monterrey, Mexico, many of which are ZNE homes prefabricated with solar panels to allow an entire neighborhood to share the gathered solar energy. The popular “Mighty Quatro” home model is a flat, 1,176 square feet rectangle with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a pool. Every Mighty Buildings home is net-zero energy.
Currently, the Might Buildings operates in two ways. First, as a direct-to-consumer company that allows customers to order and design a house and have it shipped directly to a location. Second, as a large-scale B2B sales firm, allowing for even further price reduction by working directly with development companies.
“Everything is more efficient this way,” said Russ Atassi, Mighty Buildings’ COO, in a “Fast Company” interview. “Getting permitting is more efficient. Laying out sites is more efficient. Grading is more efficient. Working with local officials is more efficient.”
Mighty Buildings is just one of many 3D printing home companies around the country discovering the perks of a less expensive, more sustainable neighborhood model. In Austin, TX, construction firm Icon is creating homes made of layered concrete for the unhoused in the U.S. and abroad, including a community of more than 100 houses in Georgetown, TX.
In Iowa, Alquist 3D is working on printed construction in rural areas across the Midwest
and Virginia, where its new Project Virginia has 200 3D homes planned in the Old Dominion. Internationally, Canadian firm Horizon Legacy is building the nation’s first 3D-printed neighborhood, while XtreeE in France has created new social housing residences in Reims.
“With migration patterns shifting due to pandemic, climate, and economic concerns, smaller communities like Pulaski have a huge need — and an amazing opportunity — to develop affordable housing for new residents,” said Zachary Mannheimer, founder and CEO of Alquist 3D, in a press release.
3D buildings may indeed be the future of home building. The much faster, automated production means eliminating almost all waste and taking a huge chunk out of the construction industry’s massive carbon footprint.
“We’re trying to automate the construction process, increase quality, and increase factory throughput in order basically to unlock productivity in the regions with high housing demand,” said Dmitry Starodubtsev, Mighty Buildings’ chief technology officer, in a TechFirst Podcast. “The entire system works to eliminate as much labor hours on site as possible in order to reduce pricing and make it more affordable for different generations of people, not only millennials.”
