Key facts
- A new development in Salida, Colorado, will feature 106 3D-printed homes.
- The project aims to serve as a large-scale testbed for 3D-printing construction technology.
- Robotic printers are being used to place concrete layers for wall systems.
- Developers acknowledge current higher costs and slower speeds but anticipate future efficiencies.
- The concrete homes are designed to be more resilient to wildfires and severe weather.
- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is supporting robotics in homebuilding.
A large-scale residential development in Salida, Colorado, is set to become a significant testbed for 3D-printed home construction. The project, named Cleora at Salida East, will feature 106 homes built using robotic printers that lay down concrete layer by layer, a process designed to address labor shortages and improve construction efficiency.
Developers acknowledge that the technology is still in its refinement phase, with current costs and speeds not yet surpassing traditional stick-built methods. However, they anticipate that the high volume of homes planned for the 55-acre site will allow for continuous value engineering and learning, ultimately leading to faster and more cost-effective construction.
The concrete walls of the 3D-printed homes are also designed to offer enhanced resilience against wildfires, high winds, and severe weather, a key benefit in the mountainous Colorado environment. RIC Robotics, the technology partner, aims to democratize access to robotic construction by enabling the sharing of equipment and expertise, thereby lowering the barrier to market entry for the industry.
Beyond the Cleora project, broader adoption of 3D-printed housing faces challenges related to cost-effectiveness and the accessibility of robotic systems. However, initiatives like a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development program offering up to $10 million in funding for robotics and AI in homebuilding signal growing interest in these technologies to potentially increase housing supply.