At the University of Maine, a groundbreaking solution to the housing crisis is taking shape—literally. One of the world’s largest 3D printers is now using sawdust from the state’s lumber industry to create cozy, sustainable wooden cabins. This innovative approach aims to address Maine’s pressing need for affordable housing while promoting faster and more environmentally friendly construction methods.

The housing shortage in Maine mirrors a nationwide crisis, with an estimated 80,000 new homes needed over the next five years to meet growing demand. While traditional construction methods struggle to keep up, the technicians at the University of Maine’s Advanced Structures & Composites Center (ASCC) believe their cutting-edge technology can make a significant impact. The ASCC’s 3D printer, recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s largest prototype polymer 3D printer, can produce a 600-square-foot house—96 feet long, 36 feet wide, and 18 feet tall—entirely out of bio-based materials at an astonishing rate of 500 pounds per hour.

In 2022, the printer was capable of constructing the walls, floors, and roof of a house in just 96 hours. However, the team at ASCC has been refining the process, aiming to cut that time in half to just 48 hours. “When they’re doing concrete, they’re only printing the walls,” explained Habib Dagher, executive director of ASCC, in an interview with CNN. “Our approach is quite different from what you’ve seen and read about for years.”

Unlike other 3D printing projects, which typically focus on printing only the walls, the ASCC’s approach is more comprehensive. Their design, known as the BioHome3D, offers a fully integrated solution that includes not just the walls but the entire structure. This innovative method sets it apart from other 3D-printed housing initiatives, such as an Italian firm’s project to create domed, beehive-like modular homes inspired by the Great Enclosure in Zimbabwe.

The BioHome3D has garnered significant interest, with many visitors to the concept home asking when they can “have one up” for themselves. The interior of the BioHome3D evokes the aesthetic of a modern Scandinavian wooden cabin, blending seamlessly with Maine’s rustic charm. Currently, the ASCC team is working on integrating conduits for wiring and plumbing, ensuring that the homes are not only beautiful but also functional and ready for real-world use.

This pioneering effort by the University of Maine could pave the way for a new era of sustainable, rapid, and affordable housing construction, providing much-needed relief to communities struggling with housing shortages across the state.

By Impact Lab