Contracting company Miniopolis Builders in Florida recently added 3D-printed homes to its list of services, with the goal of providing lower-cost, hurricane-resistant housing for new buyers on a budget.
In an interview posted to YouTube, Brian Sodre, the owner of Miniopolis, wondered to himself, "How can I make housing more affordable, but at the same time not sacrifice structural integrity?"
The answer was building homes with a smaller footprint and using 3D printing to make them especially resistant. This construction method takes less time and can be accomplished with fewer workers, making it more efficient as well.
A report by the North Port Sun highlighted one of the company's latest 3D-printed builds in the town of North Port and detailed some of the sustainable aspects of the project.
"This isn't just a tiny home — it's a revolution," Sodre told the outlet. "We've reimagined construction from the ground up. By combining robotics, artificial intelligence and next-generation materials, we're delivering hurricane-resilient homes that are beautiful, efficient and attainable."
Miniopolis Builders meets with its clients to help with acquiring land and designing their project according to desired specifications, with solar panels being one of the optional upgrades.
By using 3D printing, Miniopolis can build homes that withstand extreme weather better than other methods, and complete them in a shorter period of time with less material waste.
The company uses off-site robots powered by AI to print the concrete components for each home, and it claims that its concrete is more than twice as strong as traditional materials. These are then transported to the site and assembled.
Although the typical home they build is 750 square feet, the North Port project includes a garage and brings the total to 980 square feet, which means the price is slightly higher than normal, but still below the state average.
Miniopolis' projects usually start at around $185,000, but the North Port project will cost approximately $240,000, which is still cheaper than the city's average $321,000 price tag, the North Port Sun explained.
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Definitely 🙁 According to Sodre, prices could drop by 30% if 3D-printed homes become more popular, which seems very likely.
Similar projects have been built in Ohio, New Zealand, and Texas, where there's an entire neighborhood growing out of resilient 3D-printed components. This building method offers plenty of customization so customers can create unique designs for their homes while reducing costs and construction waste.
"Safe. Stylish. Sustainable. Those aren't just buzzwords — they're our blueprint," Sodre told the North Port Sun. "Miniopolis is here to help Florida families reclaim the dream of homeownership."
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