Dive Brief:
- HiveASMBLD, a company that builds homes using robotic 3D printing technology, is constructing nine single-family homes in Marfa, Texas, forming a residential community it is calling Lumen Villas. Home prices will begin at $345,000.
- The company is also in the process of building a 3D-printed affordable housing development with 80 homes in southeast Houston.
- The homes will aim to demonstrate “how advanced construction methods can help address the broader affordability crisis across Texas and the U.S.,” HiveASMBLD Chief Development Officer Robert Spiegel said in a release.
Dive Insight:
Home prices in Marfa, long considered an artistic hub, have soared in recent years. The median listing home price is $495,000, exceeding the national median price of $425,000, according to Realtor.com.
“HiveASMBLD’s presence in Marfa is catering to a need that’s currently starved due to the lack of affordability that comes with developing and purchasing homes,” Spiegel said.
The 3D-printed homes in Marfa will range between 1,500 and 1,860 square feet, according to HiveASMBLD, which is based in Houston. The homes will feature mass walls paired with high-efficiency HVAC systems and will withstand harsh weather, according to Co-CEO Ethan Wong.
The first home is expected to be completed by the end of the month, with all nine slated for completion in 2026.
HiveASMBLD is not alone in building 3D-printed homes in Texas. ICON, another 3D-printing construction company, developed a 3D-printed residential community in Georgetown, Texas, in 2024.
In 3D printing construction, a printer deposits mortar or concrete “layer-by-layer” in a robotically controlled process that follows a designated “print path,” according to Structure Magazine.
