Could two separate events, the housing crisis & plastic pollution, converge in a project to build homes? One LA-based startup 3D-prints modular backyard homes of recycled plastic that aim at lighter, faster, more affordable builds.
They 3D-print homes in one day using recycled plastics for less than $50,000. Using a massive 3D-printer, Azure Printed Homes prints the floor, roof and walls in a day and then finishes 99% of the home in their Culver City factory.
Because the plastic is so light, it can be put on the back of a truck and driven to the install site where it is connected to the foundation and utilities.
The first homes were built with post-industrial plastic waste, but Azure cofounder Ross Maguire explains that as the recycling revenue streams have gotten cleaner, they can now print with post-consumer waste, like plastic bottles.
Prices start at $43,900 for a 180 square-foot ADU (accessory dwelling unit), bathroom and kitchen included. Two modules can be attached for 360 sq-ft of floor space for $85,900. Permitting, foundation, delivery and installation usually cost an extra 20 to 30% of the price.
With the app, you can lightly design your home choosing from clear glass side walls, multiple window options, flooring, paint color, and you can add solar panels and battery and go off grid. Maguire explains that because the home is printed in one monolithic unit there are no thermal bridges so the homes are very efficient to heat and cool.
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