3-D printed houses are the cutting edge of the construction industry. Thanks to a $1.1 million Community Innovation Demonstrations grant, Virginia Tech will be diving into research on this important new technology.

The grant comes from Virginia Housing and will fund both the acquisition of a mobile construction printer along with testing and training to operate the equipment. Funds will also support construction of 10 affordable homes by 2026.

“For years, we have been working with our partners, exploring innovative construction techniques. This collaboration with Virginia Tech marks a pivotal step forward,” said Tammy Neale, CEO of Virginia Housing. “This latest program allows us to quickly test, learn, and train future workers and partners to advance and scale 3D-printed housing across the Commonwealth.”

Students from the Virginia Center for Housing Research at Virginia Tech will work alongside the Myers-Lawson School of Construction, The School of Architecture and Design, and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering to help develop new options for home construction.

“By building multiple 3D-printed homes on different lots at the same site, we plan to study potential production-level cost and schedule savings, helping us to focus on Virginia’s supply chain, its risks, and maximize efficiencies for the industry beyond Virginia,” said Dr. Andrew McCoy Director of the Virginia Center for Housing Research.3-D printed houses have become popular throughout the country because of the speed with which they can be constructed; some in as little as 24-hours.