Over the last few decades construction using 3D printing has taken the world by storm. Additive manufacturing has enabled construction companies to build at unprecedented speeds, while minimising waste and labour. Furthermore, with 3D printing, the cost of construction is considerably reduced compared to traditional methods. The technology has also allowed designers to manifest impressive geometrically complex and architecturally interesting designs, which would otherwise be impossible to create. It is therefore no surprise that construction 3D printing is set for massive growth. In fact the global market for construction using 3D printing is expected to reach $114.4 million in 2023.

Its potential profitability has certainly not gone unnoticed, nor has its potential as a force for good. In the course of the last few years, several initiatives have been founded on this concept. Taking advantage of the efficiency, low cost, and sustainability it offers, using 3D printing for construction has become central to many humanitarian focused projects seeking to combat global issues ranging from housing shortages and homelessness to the education crisis. 

Construction 3D Printing and the Housing Crisis

According to the State of the Nation’s Housing Report published by Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS), last year the supply of for-sale homes was at its lowest level since at least 1982. A statistic that was only worsened by the pandemic. However, it is not only a shortage of housing that the US faces, but also a persistent shortage of construction workers, which in turn functions to impede the development of new homes. JCHS reported that the average number of job openings for construction workers reached its highest level since at least 2001, at about 321,000 posts that needed to be filled in 2019. Moreover, the US also faces a crisis of affordability. According to Forbes, despite the overall economic turndown, house prices have soared in the last year and Americans across the country are struggling to afford homes.