By Matt Bracken
September 16, 2024
To build a home in Nome, Alaska, is to take an encyclopedia’s worth of knowledge about ideal construction conditions and heave that text directly into the Bering Sea.
From erecting wooden structures on subarctic tundra to eating the exorbitant costs required to ship materials to the wind-whipped coastal city that’s inaccessible by road, the challenges in homebuilding there are innumerable. And that doesn’t even account for an igloo-sized elephant in the room.
“When it gets 30 below and a 20 mile-an-hour wind, that’s pretty cold for everyone up here,” mentioned Glenn Steckman, the recently departed city manager of Nome.
Next summer, numerous hindrances to homebuilding in Nome could be addressed thanks to a project funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development which involves 3D-printing technology to construct an affordable housing unit. This project is the result of extensive collaboration involving federal, state and local governments, private industry, and academia.
The $600,000 from HUD awarded to Nome is part of a $1.6 million matching grant program aimed at developing and testing a mobile 3D printer engineered specifically for the harsh Alaskan environment. Following extensive testing phases in Fairbanks and suburban Anchorage, this 3D printer will be moved to the historic town on the southern Seward Peninsula. It’s anticipated that the construction of a house by this printer will showcase potential housing solutions for rural Alaska and perhaps influence broader markets.
“There are very pressing local needs in Nome,” remarked Tanaya Srini, senior advisor for innovation, policy development, and research at HUD. “But, this initiative is also considered in terms of its potential applications across other markets.”
In Alaska, where living costs are significantly higher than the national average and many homes are aging and insufficient, proponents of 3D printing technology see a great chance to demonstrate its effectiveness. After over three years of anticipation, the researchers advocating for its use in Nome are eager to see their efforts come to fruition.
The state’s housing situation is dire, marked by overcrowding and sluggish construction that fails to keep up with demand. According to a 2018 report by the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, nearly 79,000 households in rural areas are spending over 30% of their income on housing costs, compromising their ability to afford other essentials, as per HUD standards.
This concerning scenario led the AHFC to enlist the Xtreme Habitats Institute for a study on the feasibility of 3D-printed homes for rural Alaska, finalized in 2021. Despite various obstacles like non-conforming building codes and the logistical hurdles of transporting materials and equipment to remote areas, the study suggested that 3D printing has potential. It could provide a way to rapidly build high-quality, affordable homes across rural and Arctic Alaska, proposing it as a feasible and cost-effective alternative to traditional wood-framed houses.
Jimmy Ord, the director of research and rural development at AHFC, noted via email that Nome had been quickly pinpointed as a potentially “ideal location” for a pilot project involving a 3D-printed home.
“Nome is a community in need of housing, possesses local materials suitable for printing, and being semi-rural presents a chance to tackle challenges related to workforce, shipping, and other logistical issues,” stated Ord. “Mastering the use of a 3D printer to build homes using local resources in a semi-rural environment could pave the way for similar construction projects across the state.”
This feasibility study was a significant factor in HUD’s choice to support the initiative, as highlighted by Srini, who emphasized the reductions in construction time and associated cost benefits.
The report revealed that using traditional construction methods, building the external framework of a house in rural Alaska can take two to three months, with possible delays from adverse weather and labor shortages. In contrast, 3D printing, which employs layers of a concrete mix made from local limestone, sand, gravel, and other materials, can reduce this period to just one to three days.
In Nome, where the cost of standard construction is approximately 70% higher than in Fairbanks, the potential savings from a significantly reduced construction timeline could be considerable.
“Purchasing a 1,200-square-foot house for $600,000 requires a considerable income, which many residents here don’t have,” explained Steckman. “If we could reduce the cost of housing to around $360,000-$400,000, it would enable more individuals to transition from renting to owning.”
Alaska’s needs are highly individualized, Ord noted — the effectiveness of 3D printing in Nome does not necessarily translate to its viability across other regions, given the state’s varied resources, geography, climate, infrastructure, and governance. However, the AHFC is optimistic about the project, anticipating that it “yields positive outcomes that drive further economic impact in the future,” said Ord.
This optimism is held within the achievements of a group of engineers and designers located over 4,000 miles away, across four time zones.
José Pinto Duarte’s interest in 3D printing was sparked sometime during the mid-1990s when he was a PhD student at MIT. His studies focused on the automated generation and fabrication of designs. Post completing his thesis, Duarte concentrated on utilizing this technology for the mass customization of housing. His passion led him to Penn State in 2016, where he became the director of the university’s Stuckeman Center for Design Computing and played a key role in starting the Additive Construction Lab.
At Penn State’s State College, Duarte collaborated with a diverse group including designers, engineers, architects, researchers, and entrepreneurs, all united in their aim to utilize 3D printing for housing construction. In 2021, along with four associates, Duarte co-founded X-Hab 3D. This venture was inspired when Bruce Kraselsky, the company’s CEO, was approached by Alaska’s head of economic development to explore advanced technologies that could mitigate the housing challenges in rural areas of Alaska.
Duarte noted that the primary mission of the company is to deliver innovative 3D concrete printing solutions to the construction sector and to transition these developments from a research setting into practical, market-ready applications, particularly emphasizing the Alaska project.
Duarte and his colleagues from X-Hab 3D and AddConLab were immersed in a NASA challenge focused on crafting habitable structures on Mars. Despite the vast differences between Mars and remote earthly locations, the team noticed similarities that could guide their innovations.
“Alaska presents similar challenges, being an isolated and extreme environment,” explained Duarte. “If our solutions prove effective here, they could potentially be applied universally, even on Mars.”
Constructing during the brief summer season in Nome posed not only climate obstacles but unique geological issues as well, Steckman pointed out.
“The tundra offers its own set of construction complexities,” remarked Steckman. “Additionally, we encounter ‘disturbed land’ which comprises overturned soil or more stony areas without an ice layer beneath.”
Srini emphasized how the challenging terrain of Nome highlights the importance of the 3D printer’s mobility and “expeditionary” capabilities. The ability for the printer to autonomously navigate on tracks is seen as vital due to Nome’s remote access.
The mobility is further underscored by the printer’s substantial weight of over 12,000 pounds. Keith Comstock, executive director of the Xtreme Habitats Institute, noted that the printer must be capable of being unloaded from various transport methods and then moved across potentially difficult terrain, which differs from a static gantry printing system.
Comstock explained, “Currently, the system requires maybe three people to operate successfully. Our aim is to develop a system that requires no human intervention to function effectively.”
These operational dynamics were key factors in Duarte’s approach as he engaged in what he described as a “collaborative effort.” His primary focus was on crafting the software and algorithms driving the printer, as well as designing the structure of the residential unit to be constructed in Nome.
During a pivotal exploration trip to Alaska, the team engaged with local authorities and community leaders from the indigenous population in Nome to pinpoint optimal construction sites and discuss housing needs. This resulted in the selection of a stable piece of land and an adaptable design blueprint suitable for mass production.
“We are not merely creating a single home but instituting a versatile housing framework,” explained Duarte, leveraging his extensive experience in mass customization. “This framework operates on consistent principles, allowing for the tailored design of individual homes.”
Almost three years since the inception of X-Hab 3D, with the aim to tackle the housing issues in Alaska, their advanced printer was prepared for its extensive relocation to the region.
With dimensions reaching 8 feet in height and an 11-foot wingspan with extended outriggers, the 3D printer embarked on a journey of over 4,000 miles from Pennsylvania to Alaska this summer. The printer journeyed across the U.S. and Canada, reaching Fairbanks – a crucial stop before Nome – where it received a warm reception in late July. treated to a hero’s welcome.
The 3D printer, affectionately named Betsy, recently underwent a rigorous testing phase close to Alaska’s premier university. This event was attended by a diverse group from Nome city, HUD, Penn State, AFHC, X-Hab 3D, Xtreme Habitats, National Renewable Energy Lab, the Denali Commission, and other organizations who were there to witness the capabilities of 3D printing in action.
“Being in Alaska was utterly astonishing,” expressed Srini. “The housing crisis, which I’m deeply familiar with as a housing researcher, is particularly severe here. You can only truly grasp the extent of the issue when in the midst of the Arctic tundra.”
Over the next few months, the effectiveness of the printer in the cold climate will continue to be evaluated. Although the end aim in Nome is to construct a three-bedroom home spanning 1,200 square feet, current tests focus on smaller-scale buildings. These prototypes are equipped with various sensors and monitors to help the team analyze how well they withstand the cold.
Now positioned 40 miles from Anchorage in Palmer, the local 528 cement masons and plasterers union has partnered with Xtreme Habitats to participate in these tests. Comstock explains, “They’re not just any labor force; they’re skilled in working with concrete, from laying foundations to erecting walls. We’re introducing them to a sophisticated tool, an essential step for advancement—it’s crucial that it’s operated by craftsmen.”
When the printer arrives in Nome in July, either by barge or military aircraft, the city will be filled with excitement and leaders aware of the high stakes. The issue of insufficient affordable housing for its approximately 3,700 residents is expected to worsen with an anticipated influx of newcomers in the next few years.
Work has started on a significant port expansion in Nome, which aims to establish it as the first deepwater Arctic port in the United States. This development is expected to further increase the demand for housing, along with Nome’s growing strategic significance. Officials from the Department of Defense have visited Nome, which is only an hour’s flight from Chukotka, Russia, as part of a new Arctic strategy.
As Nome prepares for the upcoming changes due to this development, the anticipation for the first 3D-printed house is growing among the residents, according to Steckman, who Srini described as a major supporter of the project and crucial in convincing HUD that Nome was the right location for construction.
Prior to his departure from Nome in August to become the city manager in Cambridge, Md., Steckman mentioned he “received a lot of positive feedback” on the project but also encountered some skepticism from people aware of the region’s construction challenges.
Should the initial construction prove successful, it could revolutionize building practices in underprivileged regions, making the dream of a 3D-printed, tailor-made, affordable housing community in Nome a reality.
“The demand for quality housing is high, and I think this project, this method of building, could meet that demand,” Steckman noted. The local community often questions, “will it function in Nome?” and I am confident that it will.”