In an ambitious new project, ICON, a 3D-printing construction technology company, will build a 100-home neighborhood for people facing chronic homelessness in Austin, Texas.
Working alongside nonprofit Mobile Loaves & Fishes, which has served the area's homeless population for more than 26 years, already houses over 390 people in its Community First! Village.
But now, a new expansion of innovative 3D-printed homes is underway.
Constructed using ICON’s Vulcan 3D printer, the structures are built with a cement-like mixture in layers to build up the basic shell of the home. From there, human workers add on roofs, doors, and any other required fixtures.
ICON’s 3D-printed homes range from townhomes to family units, measuring between 380 square feet to 1,040 square feet. The neighborhood will be the first of its kind in the country, providing both permanent and supportive housing for people emerging from chronic homelessness.
“Community First! Village is at the center of innovation in our country in terms of communities and movements that are effectively addressing homelessness,” Brook Bauguess, the vice president of marketing and communications at ICON, said in a statement.
“With the help from our friends at Lennar Foundation, we can continue our mission to deliver dignified homes for those in need and continue the long-term relationship with Mobile Loaves & Fishes.”
The neighborhood is being built in partnership with Lennar Foundation, the charitable arm of Lennar, a major homebuilding company. Lennar previously built a 100-home 3D-printed community in Central Texas, though it did not have the same philanthropic mission as this new neighborhood.
The Community First! Village will also include 1,400 new traditional builds, and once completed, alongside the 100 3D-printed homes from ICON, will be home to an estimated 1,800 previously homeless individuals.
Each home will have a front porch and will be placed around common areas that include laundry rooms, restroom and shower facilities, outdoor community spaces, and more.
“These shared areas encourage interactions among neighbors, helping them form relationships and build community,” the Mobile Loaves & Fishes website shares.
The shared areas include a cinema and amphitheater, community market, dog park, organic farm, chapel, memorial garden, health clinic, and more.
By adding these new 3D-printed structures, more homeless Austinites will finally have a safe and communal place to call home.
“We are delighted to continue our relationship with ICON and utilize their groundbreaking technology in Community First! Village as we continue building homes and bringing dignity to our neighbors who need it most,” Alan Graham, founder and CEO of Mobile Loaves & Fishes, said.
“With support from the good folks at Lennar Foundation, we are able to continue demonstrating why Community First! Village is a recognized leader in terms of communities and movements that are having a profound impact on the pandemic of homelessness in our country.”
Header image courtesy of ICON
