USA TODAY International Edition

Land a 3D- printed apartment for about $ 100K

- Jefferson Graham

CULVER CITY, Calif. – A tiny California startup is looking to printers to solve the housing crisis – actually, a very large 3D printer.

The company, Mighty Buildings, has been showcasing small ( 350 square foot) studio apartment models of its new “ADUs” ( accessory dwelling units) aimed at backyards and selling for about $ 115,000. That is, if you do the work and deal with local government­s to get all the permits, connect the utilities and install the unit. Have Mighty set it up for you, and you're looking around $ 184,000.

Sam Ruben, the co- founder of the firm, says Mighty can have the home in place in just more than two weeks. He credits a super- large ( 43x20 feet) 3D printer for being able to generate the materials for the frame, using a gel that hardens instantly when it gets hit with light. Robotic arms scan the objects and pour the gel.

Mighty has just gotten started, and is finishing the first of several homes in the San Francisco Bay Area and San Diego. And Ruben has big plans.

He predicts some 100 homes will be created by the firm in 2021, followed by

at least 1,000 the following year.

Ruben said the idea was hatched as a way to help solve the housing crisis. By using 3D printing and new technology, Mighty can dramatical­ly speed up the constructi­on process.

ADUs are a building, either attached or detached, that goes in the back or side yard of an existing residence. ADUs

are usually considered a guest house or extra living space that can go into the Airbnb rental pool.

Mighty calls itself a “modular prefab constructi­on company” and says it is fully compliant with all aspects of the California Building Code, including Title 24 Energy and other standards. The company offers a standard 10- year warranty on all the structural systems.

Ruben compares Mighty to the Sears kit homes from the early part of the last century, which came preassembl­ed and were put together by the homeowner with hammer and nails – and help from a neighbor.

The difference here is that the constructi­on process can move so much faster.

“It shouldn't take months to build a home,” Ruben said. “We can do an entire shell in one day.”

It takes two weeks to complete a studio and three weeks for the one- bedroom model, which starts at $ 160,000. All units come with combo washer- dryers, a dishwasher and a tiny kitchen.

Mighty currently has only one printer in operation, but it is in the process of adding more.

“The long- term vision is to have factories, minimize logistical costs and create a new class of jobs,” Ruben said. “Right now, we don't have enough people to build all the homes ( in traditiona­l constructi­on) ... We hope to create a new generation of workers.”

Ruben said the 3D printed wall responds just as normal drywall does in that you can put nails and screws into it, and his tests show it will stand up to rain and hurricanes.

 ?? JEFFERSON GRAHAM ?? Nataly Dobrynina is a sales associate for Mighty Buildings, which can create a “dwelling unite” in days or weeks using a 3D printer.
JEFFERSON GRAHAM Nataly Dobrynina is a sales associate for Mighty Buildings, which can create a “dwelling unite” in days or weeks using a 3D printer.

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