Habitat for Humanity breaks ground on Pennsylvania’s first 3D-printed home
BOALSBURG — A crowd gathered in Boalsburg on Oct. 10 to witness what may mark the beginning of a new chapter in affordable housing with the groundbreaking of Pennsylvania’s first 3D-printed home.
The project, led by Habitat for Humanity of Greater Centre County in partnership with State College-based construction technology company XHAB 3D and the Centre County Housing and Land Trust, represents a major leap in how communities might approach housing shortages in the years ahead.
“Today is a monumental day for affordable housing in Centre County and across the Commonwealth,” said Habitat Executive Director Stephanie Fost. “By embracing 3D printing technology through our partnership with XHAB 3D, we are pioneering a faster, more efficient path to building safe, affordable and durable homes.”
The single-family home will feature three bedrooms and one-and-a-half baths, with the walls created by a mobile 3D concrete printer developed by XHAB 3D. The printer uses a specialized nozzle to extrude material in precise layers, forming the exterior walls directly on-site.
For XHAB 3D, the project is as personal as it is innovative. Founder and systems engineer Sven Bielein said his connection to the area and long-time support for Habitat made the partnership especially meaningful.
“This is a community my parents live in,” Bielein said. “We’re really excited to contribute to Habitat’s mission in a place I call home. This is a new technology that we hope and believe will be helping to address the housing crisis that exists not just in the United States, but around the world.”
The home is expected to be completed by early summer 2026, with traditional volunteer work, such as framing, painting and landscaping, will still be required once the printing is complete. Fost said that while technology is building the walls, “community is what will fill them with life.”
“We have a lot of challenges here in Centre County, across the country and across the world for affordable housing,” Fost said. “This homeowner represents the dignity and hope that Habitat for Humanity hopes to provide every single day.”
Funding for the project came through several partners, including the Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement Fund, M&T Bank and the Centre County Association of Realtors.
For Habitat for Humanity, which has built and sold homes in partnership with families since 1983, the Boalsburg project represents a potential blueprint for the future.
“It’s a small step, but a significant one,” Fost said. “Technology like this could help us lower construction costs, address workforce shortages and ultimately make homeownership attainable for more families.”
When the first layers of concrete are finally printed in the coming weeks, it will not only mark the rise of a new home but also a new way of thinking about how Centre County builds community, one foundation at a time.
