Bushnell Affordable Housing Project
Bushnell, Florida is growing, but like many small cities it faces a shortage of affordable, durable housing. Our lab is partnering with the non-profit Parsons Circle to pilot a new approach: use 3D concrete printing (3DCP) to deliver high-quality homes faster and more affordably.
As a first step, Parsons Circle has donated a two-acre site in Bushnell for a demonstration neighborhood that will include both single-family and multi-family homes. This site will serve as a living testbed where we can prove what works—not just in the lab, but on the ground, with real homes for real families.
A flagship element of the pilot is a modular multi-family building produced via 3D concrete printing—the first of its kind. We will print repeatable modules that can be transported and assembled on site into stackable, code-compliant units. The modular approach is designed to accelerate delivery, reduce waste, and bring down cost per door while maintaining robust performance and finish quality.
A key goal of the project is to rigorously compare two delivery strategies. The first is off-site printing with on-site assembly, where wall or room modules are printed in a controlled environment and transported to the site for rapid installation. The second is fully on-site printing, where we set up the printer at the site and fabricate the building envelope in place. Each approach offers different advantages in speed, cost, labor, logistics, and quality control. By measuring build time, cost per square foot, thermal performance, and durability, we aim to identify when each strategy is the better fit.
We are currently in the planning phase—finalizing designs, print parameters, and community engagement steps with local stakeholders. As the work progresses, we’ll share updates on milestones, lessons learned, and how this model can scale to meet affordable housing needs across Florida and beyond.
If you’re interested in following along—or getting involved—stay tuned. Bushnell is where we’re starting, but the vision is broader: resilient, sustainable, and affordable housing that communities can actually access.
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