The first bio-based, 3D-printed, 55.7-m2 (600-sf) prototype house has been developed with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy by University of Maine (UMaine). It features 3D-printed floors, and walls and a roof of wood fibers and bio-resins—it is fully recyclable.
The house also comes with a high level of insulation dependent completely on wood and customizable R-values. Construction waste was virtually eliminated due to the precision of the printing process.
UMaine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center (ASCC) unveiled the home which is titled BioHome3D. The funding from the U.S. Department of Energy comes through the Hub and Spoke program between the UMaine and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Partners include MaineHousing and the Maine Technology Institute.
The technology is designed to address labor shortages and supply chain issues, driving high costs and constricting the supply of affordable housing. Less time is required on on-site building and fitting up the home due to the use of automated manufacturing and off-site production. Printing using abundant, renewable, locally sourced wood fiber feedstock reduces dependence on a constrained supply chain. These materials also support the revitalization of local forest product industries.
The prototype is currently located on a foundation outside ASCC, equipped with sensors for thermal, environmental, and structural monitoring to test how BioHome3D performs through a Maine winter. Researchers expect to use the data collected to improve future designs.
BioHome3D was printed in four modules, then moved to the site and assembled in half a day. Electricity was running within two hours with only one electrician needed on site.
“Many technologies are being developed to 3D print homes, but unlike BioHome3D, most are printed using concrete. However, only the concrete walls are printed on top of a conventionally cast concrete foundation. Traditional wood framing or wood trusses are used to complete the roof,” said Dr. Habib Dagher, ASCC executive director. “Unlike the existing technologies, the entire BioHome3D was printed, including the floors, walls, and roof. The biomaterials used are 100% recyclable, so our great-grandchildren can fully recycle BioHome3D.”
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