A 3D-printed prototype house is one of seven projects that the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments plans to complete with funding from the state.
Apis Cor will be the company constructing the prototype in partnership with the Housing Trust Fund of Santa Barbara County.
The project will be a small, one-story home that will demonstrate the construction technology, according to a memo from the Housing Trust Fund of Santa Barbara County.
The company developed a 3D-printed crane-like robot arm capable of “printing” a 407-square-foot home in 24 hours for about $10,000. Apis Cor claims the technology is scalable to any size home.
The model will include sustainable features such as a solar photovoltaic system — which converts sunlight into electricity — and drought-tolerant and possibly edible landscaping.
The company says it will coordinate with the UCSB Bren School of Environmental Science & Management to study the environmental impacts and life cycle of the prototype.
The prototype is designed to serve low-income households, according to Apis Cor.
SBCAG allocated $375,000 for the 3D prototype.
The project is one of seven that was being submitted and is being reviewed by the state as part of the association’s Regional Early Action Planning grant funding.
The association is seeking nearly $5.3 million allowed to the county under Assembly Bill 140, which offers $600 million in statewide projects to support regional communities.
“For the first time, flexible state dollars are being made available to help implement local and regional sustainable community strategies,” said Michael Becker, SBCAG’s planning director.
According to Becker, 24 applicants competed for the project funding, and seven were chosen.
The other six projects chosen are $2.5 million for the City of Santa Maria to improve its downtown infrastructure, $450,000 for the City of Lompoc’s Permit Ready Accessory Dwelling Unit Program, $525,000 for UC Santa Barbara researchers to develop regional bicycle and pedestrian data and maps, $395,000 for the Jacaranda Court project, a 63-unit, middle-income housing project in Santa Barbara, $735,000 for the San Jose Creek Multipurpose Path, and $275,000 for electric charging infrastructure and alternative transportation incentives.
According to a press release, 61% of the funds will be spent in the North County, 29% will be for projects along the South Coast and 10% will be spent countywide.
The projects were chosen because they pertained to either increasing affordable housing, promoting alternative transportation or supporting infrastructure, all of which are consistent with state goals, according to a press release.
The video below shows how Apis Cor constructs a 3D printed house.
