The New South Wales Government has launched construction on the state’s first 3D-printed social housing properties, a pioneering step to address the housing crisis with advanced technology.
Located in Dubbo, the project will transform a vacant land parcel into two modern, two-bedroom duplexes for Aboriginal social housing tenants, the government said in a news release.
“It’s very exciting that construction is now underway on the first 3D printed social housing properties in the state, and I have high hopes that this approach can be replicated at scale,” said Minister for Housing and Homelessness, Rose Jackson.
“The Minns Labor Government is using out-of-the-box thinking and exploring every option to build more social and affordable homes faster, especially in our regional and remote areas where people are crying out for assistance.”
The project, spearheaded by Indigenous company Aboriginal Sustainable Homes (ASH) in partnership with 3D-printing firm Contour3D, will cut construction time and costs in half.
This efficiency will allow more homes to be delivered sooner to those in need, with the printed concrete structures for the duplexes expected to be completed in just 16 days using around 70 tonnes of Contourcrete, a custom 3D-printable concrete developed by Contour3D.
“It’s fantastic to see this innovative approach coming to Dubbo in a sensible way. 3D-printed technology can help us build some structures including homes faster and more sustainably. The key is using these sorts of new technologies when appropriate,” commented The Hon Stephen Lawrence MLC.
“People are excited to see this project come to life over the coming weeks, and by early next year we will have delivered modern 3D-printed homes to local Aboriginal social tenants.”
Beyond construction speed, the eco-friendly project aligns with sustainable goals, producing significantly less waste and using recycled materials in the concrete mix to deliver durable, energy-efficient homes.
With a total build time of just 16 weeks compared to the 40 weeks typical for conventional methods, the homes are expected to be tenant-ready by February 2025.
The Dubbo Regional Council has backed the project, approving the development application (DA) in July 2024.
