Construction of Canada’s first 3D-printed neighbourhood to begin in 2023

Building permits have been granted for what has been deemed Canada’s first 3D-printed neighbourhood. And it’s happening in Gananoque.

Five buildings, each two storeys high, will be built in the waterfront community. The project is developed and funded by the Horizon Legacy Group as part of the Marco Polo 100 Digital Build Challenge, an international competition to build a multi-residential building for $100/square foot using innovative technologies and processes.

This fall, site preparations begin for roads, power lines and foundations. Construction of the buildings is expected to begin in spring 2023.

The project’s goal is to solve the global affordable housing crisis while pioneering the use of robotics and automation in construction. Each building has a unique design and strategy for incorporating 3D printing and robotics with traditional construction methods.

“As Gananoque’s local representative, I know Ontario’s housing crisis is more than just a big-city problem,” Steve Clark, Ontario’s minister of municipal affairs and housing and the MPP for Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, said in a prepared statement. “Innovative solutions and approaches are critical to build quality and attainable housing at the rate our province needs, and I am pleased to see this innovation taking place right here in our community.”

Each building is approximately 1,400 square feet with one bachelor, one one-bedroom, and one two-bedroom apartment, for a total of 15 units. Thirty per cent of the units, up to five, will be allocated as affordable units according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation definitions.

The neighborhood will be owned by the Horizon Legacy Group and made available as rental apartments. Buttcon Limited has been selected as general contractor for construction of the five buildings.

“I look forward to seeing this project create a new way of using innovative technologies to build affordable housing,” said Gananoque Mayor Ted Lojko. “I am pleased to see that 30 per cent of the units, up to five, will be made available as affordable units for rentals for much needed residents and seniors.”

“I remain committed to doing everything possible to help those in need and I am thankful for Horizon Legacy choosing the Town of Gananoque to build their model homes.”

(Keith Dempsey is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the Brockville Recorder and Times.)
https://horizonlegacy.com