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A 3D-Printed Home You Can Recycle

The makers of BioHome 3D say it's the first home 3D-printed with 100% bio-based materials.

Jesse Orrall Senior Video Producer
Jesse Orrall (he/him/his) is a Senior Video Producer for CNET. He covers future tech, sustainability and the social impact of technology. He is co-host of CNET's "What The Future" series and Executive Producer of "Experts React." Aside from making videos, he's a certified SCUBA diver with a passion for music, films, history and ecology.
Expertise Future tech, sustainability, social impact of technology Credentials
  • Gold Telly Award, 2X Silver Telly Award
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Jesse Orrall

I've seen a lot of 3D-printed houses that are billed as a way to reduce construction waste, but only one that's designed to be recyclable.

Researchers from the University of Maine have developed a process for making 100% bio-based 3D-printed homes. So far, they've made a 600-square-foot prototype located on a foundation near the university's Advanced Structures and Composites Center.

biohome-1

The prototype BioHome 3D.

 University of Maine

The prototype was printed offsite in four modules, transported and put together in just half a day. This prototype will be monitored through the Maine winter, measuring temperature, environmental and structural performance, providing data that will be used to inform future designs.

To learn more about the BioHome 3D and see how it's printed, check out the video at the top of this article.