California’s population is growing so fast, the state needs up to 3.5 million new housing units by 2025. That’s a tough target to meet using conventional building methods, but recent advancements in 3D printing technology could speed up the process. An Oakland-based company called Mighty Buildings will soon demonstrate exactly how this could be done with a neighborhood of 15 3D-printed, eco-friendly homes on a five-acre site in Ranchero Mirage, near Coachella Valley.

Working in a style uniquely suited to the local climate, with flat roofs covered in solar panels, Mighty Buildings will use robotic automation to build what it says will be the first 3D-printed zero net energy neighborhood in the United States. The 1,450-square-foot, single-story homes will be extrusion printed using an ultra-strong stone composite material that’s termite-proof, fire-resistant, and water-resistant. The homes can be built twice as quickly as conventional constructions, too, with 95 percent less labor hours and 10 times less waste.
The $15 million collaboration with sustainability-focused developers Palari Group uses Mighty Buildings’ “Cinco” housing unit and will be built with the company’s panelized Mighty Kit system, which features 3D printed polymer composite panels prefabricated and shipped from Oakland. The panels are pre-assembled with framing, insulation, finishing, weatherproofing, and the stone-like exterior surface. Each Cinco kit features a ...