Housing Trust Fund Awarded $100,000 for 3D Affordable Home Project in Goleta

Cambridge Drive Church Community is Site of the New Project

The Housing Trust Fund of Santa Barbara County (HTF) is thrilled to announce that it was awarded a $100,000 Michael Towbes Community Impact Dividend from Montecito Bank & Trust. The grant supports development of a prototype 3D printed affordable home that will demonstrate innovative robotics construction technology that reduces the cost of developing affordable housing and uses sustainable building materials.

HTF is collaborating with Cambridge Drive Community Church in Goleta to sponsor the project. Cambridge Drive Community Church has a strong history of supporting affordable housing and has agreed to allow development of the single-story 3D printed affordable home on the church property.

HTF will partner with Apis Cor, an engineering firm located in Melbourne, Florida, to plan and construct the home using their innovative robotics construction technology. Apis Cor won top awards in NASA’s 3D Printed Habitat Challenge for building 3D structures on Mars and recently completed the world’s largest 3D printed commercial building in Dubai. They also 3D printed the walls for a small 407 square foot demonstration home in 24 hours for only a cost of $10,000.

HTF’s 3D project will demonstrate new robotics construction technology that reduces the time and cost to construct affordable housing and encourages the use of sustainable, climate resilient and fire resistant building materials. The home will also have a solar photovoltaic system, drought tolerant landscaping and other sustainability features. HTF hopes to collaborate with the Bren School of Environmental Science and the Santa Barbara AIA to design the home and study the long-term energy and environmental impacts.

More information about HTF’s 3D printed affordable housing project can be found here: Housing Innovations Program.

Pictured: Apis Cor staff working with 3D printer