Jaclyn Disney, Emergent’s director of housing and project development, says the company was founded because of housing losses in and around Shasta County from wildfires. She says the “heart” of the company is in finding housing solutions for disaster recovery.
“The ability to create housing that has greater resilience to disasters and can be built quicker and is more durable over time has such potential for enhancing community development — for sustaining the economic recovery and economic growth of these different regions in California that are more disaster-prone,” Disney says.
In California, 3.4 million homes will need to be built by 2025 to keep up with housing needs, according to a City of Redding news release. It goes on to say that the 3D printing process could produce more houses in less time, and that the costs of 3D printing will be less than those of traditional construction once the process is refined.
“What I see is the potential for this technology to expedite delivery of housing,” Disney says, “And provide housing that is disaster-resilient, housing that is durable, housing that is energy-efficient and housing that can be constructed in a manner that is sustainable and environmentally friendly.”
She says those features are not typically found altogether in a conventionally built home.
The completed house in Redding is 1,200 square feet with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The home sits at the John Reginato River Access boat launch on the Sacramento River. It’s intended for an income-eligible individual to act as park host in exchange for housing.
