A new neighborhood in Muscatine will be home to 3D-printed houses thanks to an Iowa City-based company
An Iowa City-based 3D construction company is poised to build its first set of printed homes in Muscatine this summer.
Alquist 3D produced the first owner-occupied, 3D-printed home in the U.S. in 2021, built in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg in Virginia, the Des Moines Register reported.
The Muscatine homes will be built in the Arbor Commons neighborhood, a new subdivision with 62 plots of land near Discovery Park in the eastern Iowa town.
Alquist 3D, founded in late 2020, uses 3D printing to construct a home layer by layer using specialized concrete, forgoing framing, siding, and drywall, according to the Register.
The result is that 3D-printed homes become more affordable because traditional materials such as lumber aren’t needed. Affordability is part of the company’s mission, aiming to lower the cost of housing and infrastructure through 3D-printing in under-served communities.
“Our goal at Alquist 3D is to help build community, and this project defines this process,” said Zachary Mannheimer, founder and CEO of Alquist 3D, in a press release. “City leaders in Muscatine have come together to bring thefuture of construction to Iowa. We are grateful for our partnerships with the Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine and general contractor Hagerty Earthworks to bring this project to fruition.”
New partnerships will support Alquist 3D and its work in Muscatine
Muscatine Community College recently unveiled a new, 8-week certification program centered around 3D-construction printing. The curriculum is in partnership with the Iowa City-based company and students that complete the program will be prepared to enter the 3D-construction printing workforce.
Alquist 3D will work with the Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine and general contractor Hagerty Earthworks to build the homes in Arbor Commons, according to a press release.
It will use a new “smaller” and “more nimble” printer from RIC Technology, a robotic construction company based in California.
These homes will also utilize the concrete mix Ultimatecrete thanks to a new partnership with Luyten 3D, a printing technology company in Australia. Luyten 3D is the first company to 3D-print a code-compliant house in Australia, according to the company’s website.
Paris Barraza covers entertainment, lifestyle and arts at the Iowa City Press-Citizen. Reach her at PBarraza@press-citizen.com or 319-519-9731. Follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.bri
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Iowa City company to create 3D-printed homes in Muscatine
