Crews break ground on St. Pete’s first 3D printed home

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A non-profit developer has broken ground on St. Pete's first 3D printed home.

Innovative St. Pete construction

What we know:

A robotic arm pours liquid cement layer by layer to form the exterior walls of the home. The process cuts construction time in half, city officials say.

The non-profit Bright Community Trust’s CEO Frank Wells, that’s developing the home, says the cement is a higher density than traditional concrete blocks. The developer works with the company that designed the printer, a general contractor and an architect to perfect the design that the robot prints.

While the robot handles the exterior, workers will complete the interior using traditional studs and drywall. 

St. Pete housing requirements

Dig deeper:

The property is part of the city’s Affordable Lot Disposition Program. The city leases its vacant lots to developers for a small cost. The developer sells the home to a buyer earning at or below 120% of the area median income, which is around $96,300 for a single person. 

The 3D printed homes still have to go through the same permitting process and meet all the state’s building requirements as any other home built in the city.

City officials support innovation

What they're saying:

"We’re happy to see anyone try and do something new and innovative, and especially with Lot Disposition, we want to see these homes constructed quickly and actually get into the hands of an affordable home buyer," Beatriz Zafra, Codes Operations Manager for the city, said. "So, anything that they can do on their end to speed up that construction process is really beneficial. So, we were grateful that they were willing to take on that challenge and see it through to the finish line."

Housing opportunities for all

What's next:

Wells says they plan to build five more 3D printed homes in St. Pete. This first home they hope to have finished by the end of the year. St. Pete officials eventually aim to build 150 single-family homes on city-owned land through the Housing Opportunities for All program.