Construction wrapping up on Melbourne's first 3D printed home, cutting costs in half on new builds

MELBOURNE, Fla. - Construction is almost complete on the Space Coast’s first 3D printed home.  

FOX 35 first showed you the home back in January. Months later, it’s in the final stages with finishing touches underway.  

The new construction is just off Eau Gallie Boulevard near Wickham Road. The goal with the 3d printing homes is to build high quality homes that are also affordable. 

In the early stages at the construction site, a robot was laying lines of concrete to build the home’s walls and structure. Now, it looks like a traditional, brand new 2,100 square foot home with four beds, four baths and a price that stands out.

"If you look in Melbourne and you’re looking for this size, same beds and baths, you’re going to be paying nearly $600,000. We’re right around $305,000 in build costs right now," said Trevor Ragno who's the director of construction technologies for Apis Cor.

Apis Cor is the Viera-based company behind the new way to build traditional homes.

"This is identical to a concrete block home. The thickness of the walls, the reinforcement, the steel, the grout, the rebar – everything is identical to a concrete block home," he said. 

It costs a lot less to build because fewer contractors are needed. Some of the finishes inside like the entertainment system accent wall are also less expensive becuase they were 3D printed. 

"We have a wide mantle that would have cost around $3,000," said Ragno. "Instead, we just printed it on the ground for about $40, and we picked it up and put it in place."

The kitchen island was also printed, saving thousands. The robot doesn’t need more time or resources on intricate designs. It just does what’s programmed. 

"It’s been awesome," said Cristian Perez who’s been documenting the project from start to finish. 

He doesn’t own his own his home yet and is worried about skyrocketing home prices.

"It seems like it’s getting worse, so seeing this happen is definitely a much-needed thing for the world," said Perez. 

The home also has hurricane-impact windows, and Ragno says it's built to withstand the wild weather we see in the Sunshine State.

He says it has "category 5 hurricane-rated walls" and that "this is the place where I want to go where the big storm hits."

All that's left to do at the house are finishing touches like paint jobs or fixing the landscaping. They will be having community open houses for the public to come and tour the 3D printed home as soon as it’s ready. You can track more of the construction updates at the Apis Cor website.