3D Printers Make Affordable Housing a Reality

3D-printed homes could become a much needed solution for India’s affordable housing problem since they can be done quicker, cheaper and more efficiently than traditional constructions.

“An affordable home need not be of low quality. With 3D printing we can ensure good quality housing that is affordable and resilient to disasters […] that people in low-quality homes are more vulnerable to,” says Adithya Jain, co-founder, and chief executive officer of Tvasta Manufacturing Solution. “[Plus] not only does it have a smaller carbon footprint during the construction process, but also over the lifetime of the house.”

With a surface area of 56 m2, the first single-story house built in India has been done by Tvasta, in partnership with Habitat for Humanity’s Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter. With Tvasta’s technology, houses could be customized and built-in five days. The 3D-printed construction market is expected to reach $1.5 billion by 2024. Through his Housing for All initiative, the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, has vowed to have 20 million urban units and 30 million rural ones built by 2022.