3D Printing to Resolve Housing Shortage in NSW

Authorities plan to build the first 3D printed social housing property in the Australian state

The government of New South Wales has announced its plans to use 3D printing to address a shortage in housing and build the first 3D printed social housing property in the Australian state.

The construction of the social housing property will take place in Dubbo, a city five hours inland from Sydney and will be carried out by Aboriginal Sustainable Homes in partnership with local construction 3D printing company Contour3D. A series of two-bedroom duplexes will be constructed on a vacant lot in Dubbo and will ultimately be offered to tenants through the Aboriginal Housing Office.

Utilizing modern methods of construction like 3D printing technology is critically important to delivering social and affordable homes sooner, especially in regional and remote areas. Our government is leading the way with this project. The construction of a 3D social housing property is the first of its kind in the country.

Rose Jackson, Minister for Housing and Homelessness

The social housing project is expected to break ground in late September 2024 and will rely on Contour3D’s gantry-based construction 3D printing solution, which has already been used to build a one-bedroom home in Gymea Bay, NSW, which was recently awarded a full occupancy certificate. “We’re excited to showcase our innovative building method that prioritizes sustainability, design freedom and efficiency by bringing automation to the forefront of housing construction,” said Contour3D founder and CEO Nick Holden about the upcoming build.

Rose Jackson, the Minister for Housing and Homelessness, also commented on the innovative project: “Utilizing modern methods of construction like 3D printing technology is critically important to delivering social and affordable homes sooner, especially in regional and remote areas. Our government is leading the way with this project. The construction of a 3D social housing property is the first of its kind in the country. For it to be led by the AHO reflects their dedication to exploring new and efficient ways of building more quality homes for the community. The success of this project will help to determine whether this construction method becomes one of the many ways we can deliver more social housing right across the state in a bid to help us tackle the growing crisis.”

Once the construction project is completed, the use of large-scale concrete 3D printing will be evaluated and the results will be used to “guide future use of the technology”, as Stephen Lawrence, Member of the Legislative Council, put it. Notably, Contour3D’s technology has already been used in Dubbo to 3D print an amenities block on a site in Lions Park spanning 18.5x8 metres.