My three-bedroom home was built in just 12 hours and is environmentally friendly – here’s how I did it

THE very first home built solely out of 3D foundations has been unveiled in Williamsburg, Virginia.

The home – which boasts 1,200 square feet, three bedrooms, and two bathrooms – took just 12 hours to print.

Typically, a home of this size will take four weeks to build but homeowner April Springfield had other plans.

Instead of the typical materials used to build a home in the states, she used concrete as its primary material, which can cut building costs by up to 15 percent per square foot.

Concrete is also a great insulator so it lowers heating and cooling bills, and its strength provides great protection against tornadoes and hurricanes.

The building is also EarthCraft certified, meaning it minimizes environmental impacts and will not cost as much to maintain.

Despite April supervising the laundry facilities at a local hotel for nearly five years, her income was still less than 80 percent of the area median income, which meant she couldn't buy her own home.

It was difficult for her to save up money, but she used at least 300 hours of 'sweat equity' building the house herself to subsidize the cost.

The project was organized by charity Habitat for Humanity in partnership with 3D-printing company Alquist.

The Habitat Homebuyer Programme offered April a mortgage with repayments of no more than 30 percent of her income. They also put money back into the community to build more affordable homes in the United States.

Construction of each home built by Habitat for Humanity Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg is a cooperative effort between volunteers, house sponsors, and buyers.

April has also got her own personal 3D printer allowing her to reprint anything from electrical outlets to doorknobs.

This is the non-profit's first 3D-printed home, but expect to unveil their second in Tempe, Arizona, next month.