Virginia Housing grant to build 10 affordable homes by 2026 with 3D construction printer

Ten homes will be “printed” across Virginia by 2026 thanks to a $1.1 million grant to Virginia Tech to purchase a mobile 3D construction printer.

The Community Innovation Demonstrations grant from Virginia Housing to the Virginia Center for Housing Research at Virginia Tech was announced Thursday.

In addition to purchasing the printer, the grant funds will be used to enable 3D Concrete Printing tests, training, research and partnerships to print the homes.

A demonstration of the Tvasta SIRA RC20 robotic crawler arm 3D concrete printer took place last week at the Virginia Governor’s Housing conference in Virginia Beach.

In 2021, Tvasta, an Indian engineering tech startup, built India’s first 3D printed 600-square-foot house in 21 days.

“For years, we have been working with our partners, exploring innovative construction techniques. This collaboration with Virginia Tech marks a pivotal step forward,” said Tammy Neale, CEO of Virginia Housing. “This latest program allows us to quickly test, learn and train future workers and partners to advance and scale 3D-printed housing across the Commonwealth.”

3D printer attributes

• Robotic arm design: Unlike larger gantry-based systems, the SIRA RC20 uses a multi-axial robotic arm, offering greater flexibility and precision
• High payload capacity: Engineered to handle heavy components, the SIRA RC20 can produce large-scale construction elements
• Customizable motion systems: The printer offers tailored motion systems to meet specific project requirements, enhancing versatility for different types of projects
• Eco-friendly design: This system minimizes material waste and can use low-carbon mixes and recycled concrete mixes to create energy-efficient structures. Refined from bulky, larger systems, the nearly 11-foot high, four-ton eco-friendly printer can cut construction time and waste

3D printer grant, by phases

• Phase One: Underway now; focus on purchasing and maintaining the robotic-arm 3D printer
• Phase Two: Training construction partners in 3DCP technology, starting with two training cohorts in the first year and increasing to four in the second year
• Phase Three: Advancing research with Virginia Tech’s faculty to expand 3DCP knowledge and applications
• Phase Four: Collaborating with Virginia developers to construct durable, high-performance housing that meets community needs

Virginia Tech faculty and staff from the Myers-Lawson School of Construction, Virginia Center for Housing Research, The School of Architecture and Design and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering will be involved along with undergraduate and graduate students.

Dr. Andrew McCoy and Dr. Alex Brand applied for this latest Virginia Housing grant after partnering with the state housing finance agency in the past.

“Our goal is not to be home builders, but to facilitate the homebuilding process using 3D printing technology,” said McCoy. “Our role as educators is to bring these technologies to Virginians, translate their opportunities and equip Virginia contractors and developers with the knowledge and training needed to leverage 3DCP technology for affordable housing.”

Site selection for the 10 homes is in the works, McCoy said.

“By building multiple 3D-printed homes on different lots at the same site, we plan to study potential production-level cost and schedule savings, helping us to focus on Virginia’s supply chain, its risks, and maximize efficiencies for the industry beyond Virginia.”

3D printing in Virginia

• In 2021, Virginia Housing’s Community Innovation Demonstrations Grant funded $500,000 for Printing for Affordable Concrete Housing and Training with the Virginia Center for Housing Research at Virginia Tech. That grant secured a large-format, gantry-style 3D home printer from a Danish company called COBOD, or Construction Of Buildings On Demand.
• Virginia Tech professors and students, along with local housing and construction partners, printed the concrete walls of a 1,550-square-foot home in Richmond and later a 1,250-squarefoot home in Williamsburg. They used traditional construction techniques to finish other parts of the home. Both homes were sold to lower-income families.
• Virginia Tech further expanded its 3DCP efforts, partnering on the completion of two additional homes in Newport News in December 2023.

Virginia Housing invests in innovations in affordable housing and makes homes for people with disabilities and older Virginians more livable.

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