BioHome3D

|BioHome3D is the first 3D-printed house made entirely with bio-based, recyclable materials

BioHome3D

The world’s first 100% bio-based 3D-printed home 

TECHNOLOGY

Designed to address labor shortages and supply chain issues that are driving high costs and constricting the supply of affordable housing. Less time is required on-site building and fitting up the home due to the use of automated manufacturing and off-site production. Printing using abundant, renewable, locally sourced wood fiber feedstock reduces dependence on a constrained supply chain.

DEVELOPMENT

  • Designed and manufactured as a part of the SM²ART Program between the University of Maine and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
  • Printed on the World’s Largest Polymer 3D Printer at the ASCC.

INNOVATION

World’s first 100% bio-based house.

  • Each module is 100% additively manufactured- floors, walls, and roof- which differentiates this house from current commercial 3D-printed homes.
  • Local wood fiber and bio-resin materials developed by the SM²ART partnership
  • Walls, floors, and roof are all printed, unlike existing 3D-printed housing projects.

600 square foot single-family home

  •  Highly automated, off-site, modular assembly
  • Designed as separate, printed modules for ease of transportation and assembly.
  • Designed with input from the Maine State Housing Authority
  • The materials used are 100% recyclable 
  • The house is insulated with a combination of wood fiber insulation and blown-in cellulose insulation.

Technical R&D efforts leading to BioHome3D

  •  Cellulose Nanofiber production including drying, functionalization, compounding with thermoplastics
  • Multi-scale modeling
  • Large, high-rate AM processing
  • Demonstrates new bio-based PLA grade formulated for additive manufacturing
  • Life-cycle analysis

Media Gallery

Thank you to our project partners

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