Auburn University Researchers Working on Affordable Housing Solutions Through 3D Printing
In partnership with the University of Idaho, Auburn University professors and researchers are working to create affordable and sustainable housing with 3D printing. The project is funded by a $3.9 million grant from the National Science Foundation’s Research Infrastructure Improvement Program.
According to Dr. Brian Via, Director of the Forest Products Development Center, affordable housing is a reality for only 50% of households. “We are trying to find alternative ways and novel ways to make housing more affordable,” he explained. “Recently, the U.S. is trending toward mass timber buildings as a first-generation material to reduce our carbon footprint. However, advanced manufacturing can help to utilize more biomaterial waste from forest resources that can then be 3D printed into housing or building components.”
