A drone captured footage of a 3D printer in Cairo last Saturday as it started construction on the first new home in the town in nearly half a century.
In Cairo, a behemoth 12-ton 3D printer was set up to build a duplex on an empty plot behind the city hall. This large gantry system rises high, and using a digital blueprint, it deposits layers of a special concrete mixture akin to toothpaste being extruded.
On Saturday, many residents of Illinois’ southernmost city came together to watch this modern printer at work, with American flags fluttering atop its two towering pillars. 3D printing stands out as a burgeoning technology that might speed up the creation of economical housing across the country.
This unique printer, the first in the area, belongs to Eminence Resource Inc., which is located in Harrisburg, 80 miles north of Cairo. The firm is gifting the duplex to the city.
Harrisburg-based Eminence Resource Inc. was set to utilize a 3D printer to build both the interior and exterior walls of a duplex within 45 hours.
In Cairo, a small town with around 1,600 residents, the construction of a 3D-printed duplex marked a significant development in the pursuit of affordable housing, the first of its kind in almost five decades.
The local community has faced challenges in replacing affordable housing following the demolition of two family public housing complexes, Elmwood and McBride, by the federal government in 2019, displacing nearly 400 people. Previously, the Alexander County Housing Authority had been overtaken by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development due to extreme mismanagement and poor living standards.
The decision by HUD was based on the poor condition of the buildings, deeming them beyond repair. Although those displaced were provided with rental vouchers to assist with housing costs, the scarcity of affordable options within Cairo forced many to relocate over 30 miles away.
Cairo Mayor Thomas Simpson addressed hundreds of attendees on Saturday as the groundbreaking ceremony for a 3D-printed duplex commenced.
“It’s quite exciting that the initial residents of this innovative duplex will be among the first displaced families from the Elmwood and McBride demolition crisis,” mentioned State Senator Dale Fowler, R-Harrisburg, who represents the area and facilitated the collaboration between Eminence managers and Cairo officials.
“We’ve got people who are eager to return, and understandably so,” Cairo Mayor Thomas Simpson stated, eliciting applause from those gathered. The city is currently receiving applications from former residents of Elmwood and McBride for these homes, though selections have not been announced.
When Cairo attempted to address the shortage of affordable housing, it faced recurring issues common to both rural communities and economically distressed urban centers. Many such areas still maintain public housing complexes, which often deteriorate without viable options for renewal or replacement.
In the 1970s, the United States government revised its approach to affordable housing, transitioning from direct public housing subsidies to fostering partnerships between the public and private sectors. This new strategy involved issuing rent vouchers to assist tenants in covering rent within the private housing market. However, this method offers limited relief in areas lacking sufficient private rental properties.
Current development of affordable housing mainly involves private developers or nonprofits constructing apartment complexes though multifaceted tax-credit transactions. Such financial arrangements, however, are often unfeasible in smaller locales where project scales and rental rates do not meet profitability thresholds.
In the city of Cairo, providing stable housing for families and children is crucial. According to state statistics, approximately twenty percent of children in the local pre-K district meet a broad definition of homelessness, which includes those without permanent homes, sharing housing with other families, transiently residing with acquaintances, or staying in motels and similar short-term setups.
While the introduction of just two new residential units isn’t enough to address Cairo’s extensive housing crisis fully, city official Simpson mentioned that there are ongoing endeavors to finance further housing development on the existing property.
“Folks, this is just the beginning,” he told the crowd Saturday.
Officials toss ceremonial dirt on Saturday in Cairo as crews prepare to oversee construction of a 3D-printed duplex.
It is expected to take the 3D printer about 45 hours to construct the duplex’s interior and exterior walls, with crews working through the night over the next two weeks to complete the job. Several more weeks will be needed for finishing work, including hanging drywall, installing plumbing, electricity, flooring, and other interior elements like kitchen and bathroom fixtures, to make the home move-in ready.
Eminence purchased the printer from Black Buffalo 3D and it was delivered from a warehouse in New Jersey in parts by three semitrailers to Cairo. This project is the inaugural use of the machine at its new southern Illinois location, though Josh Burtis, the general manager of Eminence, said it will soon go to work building homes across southern Illinois. Burtis said his company purchased the printer in response to the growing need for affordable housing in the region. While it can take months to build a home using traditional construction methods, 3D printers can do it in a matter of weeks.
“Our objective by introducing this technology here is to demonstrate that we are committed to work. Our aim is to construct robust, resilient homes as quickly as possible and to restore housing promptly,” explained Burtis. “Because the more homes we create, the more people will come here — which is essential for rebuilding these communities. Our primary focus is on developing affordable workforce housing to facilitate the growth and recovery of these communities.”
The locals welcomed the initiation of a new 3D-printed duplex in Cairo on Saturday, which will be gifted to the city to accommodate two families who lost their homes.
Representatives from Eminence Resource Inc., based in Harrisburg, expressed their hope to utilize their new 3D printing technology to construct affordable homes throughout southern Illinois.
This substantial 3D printer, produced by Black Buffalo 3D and weighing over 12 tons, was delivered on three semi-trailers from a warehouse in New Jersey.
3D printers could revolutionize the creation of affordable housing by slashing the time required for construction from months down to mere weeks compared to conventional building methods.
A wave of new startups aims to transform the construction sector by utilizing industrial 3D printers to automate production, adding layers to build structures.
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