Brevard's first 3D-printed affordable housing to be built by robots in Melbourne
Habitat for Humanity's third 3D-printed home construction project in America will take shape just north of Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Melbourne, thanks to "Frank," a futuristic 2,900-pound long-armed robotic printer that scoots along on tank tracks.
“Now, Frank can operate around the clock. But due to local ordinances, we’ll likely be printing from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.," Trevor Ragno, Apis Cor director of construction, explained to a groundbreaking ceremony crowd.
“It'll be a really cool demonstration to show — getting the walls up in around a week. And finishing out construction on these projects very quickly," Ragno said, standing alongside Frank.
Thursday morning, more than 150 people gathered beneath a tent to commemorate pending construction of Brevard County's first two 3D-printed affordable homes. These adjoining grassy lots are located at the intersection of Lipscomb and Church streets.
Apis Cor, a Melbourne robotics technology and manufacturing company incorporated in 2019, will 3D-print the two neighboring homes. Macedonia Community Development Corp. of South Brevard will lease one of the units to a low-income tenant.
"A hundred years ago, communities built the church. Today, the church builds the community," said Ray Lea, Macedonia CDC vice president.
Living in the woods while pregnant
Space Coast Habitat for Humanity will sell the other 3D-printed home to former Cocoa resident Mariah Humphries, who has a 4-year-old daughter, Ava.
“When I was pregnant with her, I lived in the woods for some periods, bouncing from home to home. I didn’t have a home of my own," Humphries said after the event, holding Ava in her arms. She graduated in April from New Life Mission, a Melbourne Christian nonprofit that provides housing for homeless women with children.
"So getting this house gives us both a future. A good, safe space for her to grow up, something I’m trying to work so hard to provide," Humphries said.
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The 3D-printed affordable housing project remains in the preliminary design stage, Ragno said. Construction may start in eight to 10 months, and the combined cost of both homes may clock in just past the $400,000 mark, Space Coast Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Anna Terry said.
The nonprofit pays similar costs to build standard-construction homes in Brevard, Terry said — but she hopes 3D printing can reduce construction costs of future houses by 30%. This demonstration project will incur first-time costs, and she hopes to someday build an enclave of 3D-printed homes.
Last month, the Melbourne City Council unanimously voted to award $500,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding for the Space Coast Habitat for Humanity-Macedonia CDC 3D-homes project. The ARPA outlay will also fund construction of a third Habitat single-family home on Steele Street in Melbourne's Booker T. Washington neighborhood.
Wells Fargo is also donating $300,000, said Kate Wilson, senior vice president of community relations.
Habitat's 3rd 3D-printed home project in the U.S.
Elsewhere nationwide, Terry said Habitat for Humanity previously built 3D-printed affordable homes in Williamsburg, Virginia, and Tempe, Arizona. She said the Melbourne project is the nation's third.
Apis Cor briefly opened what it billed as the world's first showroom for 3D-printed homes in December 2021 at The Avenue Viera. The showroom closed last fall. Within a month or so, Ragno said the company plans to start building a model home between Wickham Road and Interstate 95 in Melbourne. This four-bedroom, four-bathroom house will measure 2,100 square feet.
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On Sept. 15, Space Coast Habitat for Humanity will conduct a wall-raising ceremony in northwest Palm Bay for the future home of Tressa Jackson, a Cocoa High graduate with four children. She is a single mother who does custodial work at Croton Elementary in Melbourne.
"According to research by the Florida Housing Coalition, 2.4 million Floridians pay more than 30% of their income for housing. Many pay more than 50%. That is unacceptable," Habitat Florida Executive Director Roxanne Young told event attendees.
"We believe, and I'm sure that you will agree, that every Floridian deserves a decent place to call home," Young said.
Rick Neale is the South Brevard Watchdog Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY (for more of his stories, click here.) Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter/X: @RickNeale1
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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Habitat for Humanity's third 3D-printed house project set in Melbourne
