The Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine and Alquist 3D recently broke ground for the first 3D printed home in the state of Iowa. In celebration of the launch of this multifaceted community-led initiative, key stakeholders and Community Foundation Board members gathered on the jobsite at Arbor Commons, a new neighborhood development in Muscatine.
“The Community Foundation is proud to be part of reimagining housing development in our community alongside our collaborative partners,” said Charla Schafer, President of CFGM. “Housing is foundational and intersectional. When you have a supply-side housing failure in your community, that has a cascading impact on the economic success, education, and health of our neighbors and children.” Because of the broad impact of housing, increasing Muscatine’s housing stock is integral to the Community Foundation’s mission of improving quality of life for all in Muscatine County. The Community Foundation is looking forward to collectively addressing this challenge with upstream thinking. As a supplemental tool for housing development, 3D technology has the potential to help Muscatine County and rural communities nationwide address the housing shortage and create affordable, sustainable, and innovative housing that is resilient to natural disasters. “Our goal at Alquist 3D is to help build community, and this project defines this process,” said Zachary Mannheimer, Founder and CEO of Alquist 3D. “City leaders in Muscatine have come together to bring the future of construction to Iowa. We look forward to demonstrating the future.” Hagerty Earthworks, a local general contractor, was selected to manage the home development, and Alquist 3D, an Iowa based company, will subcontract to 3D print the exterior walls of the home. The exterior envelop of the home will be 3D printed with an enhanced concrete mix, and the interior walls will be built with traditional wood framing. The home is anticipated to be 1,300 square feet with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, an oversized, attached two car garage, and a large front porch. For more information on pre-sale or purchase opportunities, please contact Ron Monahan at the Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine at rmonahan@givinggreater.org or 563-264-3863. Additional information on 3D home printing can be found at www.givinggreater.org/housing.
Pictured above L to R: Charla Schafer, CFGM; Bob Allbee, MCSA; Penny Vacek, Office of Senator Grassley; Rachel Pohl*, UnityPoint Health – Trinity Muscatine; Jessica Susie*, Brick Gentry P.C.; Brett Nelson*, Musco Sports Lighting; Dr. Naomi DeWinter*, MCC; Ron Monahan, CFGM; Zachary Mannheimer, Alquist 3D; Jodi Royal-Goodwin*, City of Muscatine; Brandon Bullock*, HON Company; Angie Johnson*, Royal Neighbors of America; Dr. Jim Stein*, Central Bancshares; Santos Saucedo, Bayer; Brian Wolfe, NPSW Enterprises, LLC; and Jamie Leza, CFGM
*CFGM Board Member