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Live Life in 3D Ribbon Cutting Event
December 21, 2021 @ 10:30 am - 11:30 am
Habitat for Humanity Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg invites the community to tune in LIVE on Facebook to watch the ribbon cutting ceremony of the first-ever completed 3D printed Habitat house in the nation.
Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021
10:30 a.m.
The three-bedroom home with two full baths in Williamsburg has 1,200 square feet of living space.
Habitat for Humanity Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg partnered with Alquist for the project and together they broke ground on the house in July 2021.
Alquist used concrete in place of lumber to 3D print the walls, saving an estimated 15% per square foot in building costs. Concrete better retains temperature, saving on heating and cooling costs, and is resistant to tornado and hurricane damage.
With costs of labor, lumber and other construction materials continuing to escalate, finding affordable housing in James City County and in communities across the nation continues to be a challenge. Using the innovative technology of a 3D printer is one way to combat those expenses. Homebuyer April and her son are expected to enjoy savings as high as 50% on utility bills.
Moving into her first home culminates three years of perseverance for April, who applied three times to the Habitat Homebuyer Program before her application was accepted. She put in 300 hours of sweat equity or volunteer hours, many of them working to build her home and surrounding ones in what will become her new neighborhood.
April will purchase the home from Habitat for an affordable mortgage.
“I’ve been through a lot, but I’m trying to be strong because I have a son,” said April, who works in the laundry department at a nearby hotel. “I want him to understand that if you work hard, you can always get where you need to be. You just have to be patient and try. And keep trying. They want you to succeed at Habitat. They help you along the way.”
Habitat for Humanity raised funds for the home with the help of generous sponsors, a community crowdfunding campaign and its charity golf tournament.
Learn more about this milestone project here.
