Vantage West Realty in Kelowna made a unique donation this holiday season, funding the cost of a 3D printed home in Mexico.
The 3D printer uses a proprietary cement-based mix dubbed “lavacrete”.
Teaming up with New Story Charity, Vantage West is donating $10,000 US to fund a 500-square foot home in Nacajuca, Mexico. It will be 3D printed using ICON’s robotics, software and advanced material.
“This is leading-edge technology that will hopefully stop the housing affordability crisis,” says A. J. Hazzi, managing broker/owner of Vantage West. “These families in Mexico are becoming homeowners for the first time; it’s a generational change that can break the cycle of poverty, giving security for themselves and their families.”
Hazzi says, “Real estate was one of the most resilient sectors of the local economy in 2020, and we want to give back. After a few scary months, the market rallied and at Vantage West we were able to help more families move into new homes than in any other year.”
In Mexico, many families are currently living in extreme poverty and in makeshift, unsafe shelter, living on a monthly median income of only $76.
The 3D printer uses a proprietary cement-based mix dubbed “lavacrete” that exceeds the strength of existing building materials. Once the house foundation has been poured and cured, the 3D printer is set up and begins to extrude layer by layer, building walls in only 24 hours.
For Hazzi, finding solutions to homelessness here at home is the driving force behind the donation, he says. “This glimpse into the future of housing may offer new ways to address affordability.”
The non-profit organization New Story Charity was founded in 2014 and has helped fund community projects in four countries, building more than 2,200 homes and changing the lives of more than 11,000 people. The Nacajuca village is the second project with 3D printed homes.
