On Friday, Mayor Libby Schaaf explored an Oakland factory that utilizes 3-D prints to build small in-law components to aid housing costs to reasonable prices. The warehouse displayed a 3D-printed tiny shell of a house. The house’s interior decoration was also in 3D format and took at least 24 hours to print using a 20-foot high printer. According to reports, backyards in neighboring cities will soon exhibit homes of a similar accord.
Behind this ingenious idea are Mighty Buildings, a startup company that invented the technology used to print the house. According to the company, homes are made more affordable by mechanizing a house’s construction process. The new house chambers created in this style cost 45% less than selling average residences in California. Additionally, 3D units are less expensive to build.
Schaaf toured around Mighty Building’s factory and saw an embellished modular unit on display. The section consists of large windows with a small kitchen, shown through wall panels produced with a 3D printer. While the tour is ongoing, laborers scatter around the area. Mayor Schaaf gazed at the UV lights that hardened the dashboard’s material by wearing a pair of yellow goggles.
Mayor Schaaf expressed her awe and enthusiasm for the whole factory’s housing project. According to her, the Bay Area is concerned with the housing problem arising in the area. She further commented that this alteration is something that they are all waiting for to happen.
“This is like tech and innovation meets the housing crisis,” said Mayor Schaaf. “It’s so exciting because there is no more urgent need right now than more housing and more affordable housing,” she added.
Creating walls, ceilings, and overhangs for tiny units result from Mighty Buildings’ 3-D printing technique that used to be constructions in city backyards. The prices for one- or two-bedroom units vary from $115,000 to $169,000. According to Mighty Buildings, those are lower rates compared to site-built houses of a similar standard.
The company’s 3D printer is said to be the largest across the globe. According to global safety certification company UL, Mighty Building’s printer measures 43 inches long, 33 inches wide, and 20 inches high. Chinese, Russian, Italian, and Netherland corporations also use 3-D printers to create houses.
Since her second-term office in 2015, Schaaf revealed that building more housings is the solution to aiding the housing crisis in California and Bay Area. Schaaf disclosed her aim to build 17,000 affordable housing units and safeguard 17,000 citizens from losing their houses by 2024 in one of her 2016 speeches.
During the first three years, the Bay Area issued building permits for 10,000 residences. However, only 7% of those permits can accommodate low-income families.
The mayor’s policy director for housing security Darin Ranalletti revealed that he found Mighty Buildings a year back. According to him, he was thrilled because the company’s housing approaches matches that of Mayor Schaaf’s. Last November, the factory changed its location by moving from Redwood City to East Oakland.
According to Ranalletti, city officers do not need to worry about conducting on-site investigations as the facility is a state-certified one. Using 3D printing for house innovation ideas can help speed up the process compared to traditional on-site inspections. He also admitted that housing is expensive due to the most common reason that building a residence alone requires a hefty sum of money.
“We have been – over the last year – looking at ways to be more innovation-friendly,” stated Ranalletti.
Company spokeswoman Helen Chong approves of the use of 3D printing for house construction. She affirmed that the 3D housing procedures are cheaper and produce zero waste that can harm the environment.
