The University of Maine will build 3D-printed homes for people experiencing homelessness in Greater Bangor.
That’s thanks to $4 million in congressionally directed spending to support the university’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center in Orono, according to U.S. Sen. Susan Collins.
The center will design and produce nine 600-square-foot homes featuring one bedroom, one bathroom, and a combined kitchen and living room. Those homes will be destined for a neighborhood planned by Penquis, which has already received $3 million, a mix of federal, local and private funds, to support the project.
It’s not yet clear where the neighborhood will be built, but Penquis last year was eying North Brewer as a potential location for the first-of-its-kind village.
“This first-of-its-kind neighborhood is an exciting next step for UMaine’s BioHome3D technology and builds on years of groundbreaking research,” Collins said in a Wednesday statement. “I have long been proud to support the pioneering work of Dr. Habib Dagher and his team at the Advanced Structures and Composites Center, including by securing funding for its advanced manufacturing capabilities and for this project. By transforming recycled forest products into durable, energy-efficient homes, this innovative technology could help address our housing shortage, strengthen Maine’s forest products industry, and create new jobs across our state.”
The composites center will use its 3D printer, the largest in the world, to make the homes from sawmill waste.
The homes will be modeled after a prototype unveiled at UMaine back in 2022.