Wildfire survivors turn to 3D-printing tech to create disaster-proof housing: 'It's going to be amazing'

As the saying goes, "Home is where the heart is," and Emergent Construction is both restoring homes for California residents who've lost them in wildfires and putting its own heart into the effort.

How is it accomplishing this? Emergent uses 3D printing to offer speed, efficiency, and, most importantly, fire-resistant materials as it rebuilds customers' houses.

ABC10 reported that as thousands of families in the Los Angeles area were displaced following the recent spate of wildfires there, a glimmer of hope began to emerge. 

The Iglesias family, which had lost its home in nearby Altadena, was looking for resilient rebuilding solutions.  

"I Googled '3D printing fireproof house,' because obviously I don't want this to happen again," said Evangeline Iglesias.

That's how she found Northern California-based Emergent Construction, which specializes in 3D-printed projects. The company's founder and CEO, Don Ajamian, had taken to social media following the L.A. blaze to offer hope to displaced residents.

"We use an on-site 3D printer and extrude concrete to build homes. We are the first in California to do so," Ajamian explained. "If you find yourself lost, confused, not sure what to do next, please call me."

The company was founded in 2019, a year after the Carr Fire had devastated 229,651 acres of land in the Northern California town of Redding. Several team members were personally affected by the disaster and sought to offer solutions to others in need.

Drought conditions due to the changing climate and downed power lines that lacked adequate protective measures were just some of the culprits behind these wildfires. 

The 3D-printing process is controlled by a computer, as Ajamian told the outlet. "It just lays out extruded layers of concrete that are two inches wide by an inch-and-a-half tall, and it'll do one layer of every wall and then another layer and then another layer, until it builds it up to eight feet high," he said.

The modern building method allows for some unique flourishes, such as curved or slanted walls, floor-to-ceiling windows and doors, and other customizations, according to the company's website.

The company has already received approval in Redding from city engineers and completed another structure at Woodbury University in Los Angeles, so getting building approval should not be an issue. 

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Emergent has already signed its first contract to 3D-print a 1,200-square-foot Altadena home in the wake of the Los Angeles wildfires, and it's for the Iglesias family. 

"It's going to be amazing. I just can't wait," Evangeline Iglesias told ABC10.

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