autoevolution
 

The Azure 3D-Printed Tiny Homes Are Made With Recycled Plastic, and They’re the Cutest

Tiny homes and prefabricated units may have started as some sort of hippie, cutesy trend, but add an ongoing health crisis and the dire housing situation to the mix, and you have the recipe for a convenient option for alternative living. Azure Printed Homes is here to bank on that, but with a most surprising and eco-friendly twist.
Azure 3D-prints modular units for offices and tiny houses using plastic waste 14 photos
Photo: Azure Printed Homes
Azure 3D-prints modular units for offices and tiny houses using plastic wasteAzure 3D-prints modular units for offices and tiny houses using plastic wasteAzure 3D-prints modular units for offices and tiny houses using plastic wasteAzure 3D-prints modular units for offices and tiny houses using plastic wasteAzure 3D-prints modular units for offices and tiny houses using plastic wasteAzure 3D-prints modular units for offices and tiny houses using plastic wasteAzure 3D-prints modular units for offices and tiny houses using plastic wasteAzure 3D-prints modular units for offices and tiny houses using plastic wasteAzure 3D-prints modular units for offices and tiny houses using plastic wasteAzure 3D-prints modular units for offices and tiny houses using plastic wasteAzure 3D-prints modular units for offices and tiny houses using plastic wasteAzure 3D-prints modular units for offices and tiny houses using plastic wasteAzure 3D-prints modular units for offices and tiny houses using plastic waste
Alternative living has taken up a lot of space in the headlines over the past couple of years, especially right after the debut of the 2020 international health crisis. Working from home was – and still is, for many of us – an everyday reality, so that means that the former living space in the home must render itself to a new functionality. The housing crisis and a looming financial crisis further tip the scales in favor of smaller, alternative options for permanent living.

Azure Printed Homes, a 2019 startup from Los Angeles, California, aims to tackle both sides of the problem with a solution that is practical, fast and sustainable. It’s that last attribute that sets Azure apart from the other prefab builders: these units are made with recycled plastic waste. If you’re not the kind to concern yourself with the increasing quantity of plastic waste that’s killing our planet (us included), know that using waste in the process, and particularly plastic waste, means that Azure will never run out of materials. No shortage issues here, whatever else may happen on a local or international plan.

“The construction sector is the largest global consumer of raw materials globally and responsible for approximately 20% of the world's total carbon emissions,” Azure says. So it’s ready to shake up the construction industry, by using 3D printing techniques and plastic recycling.

Azure 3D\-prints modular units for offices and tiny houses using plastic waste
Photo: Azure Printed Homes
Azure offers ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units) that can be anything from backyard offices, gyms, pop-up studios, rental units and tiny homes, based on several floorplans. Regardless of which option you choose, Azure says construction on your unit will be 70% faster and 20-30% less expensive than on a house built using existing construction methods. That’s 3D printing for you!

The entire process is smoother, shorter, and can be initiated in front of the computer, as the video at the bottom of the page shows. You start with the online configurator, creating your dream unit, whether that’s a small backyard retreat for you, a tiny home, or a modular unit for a larger construction you have in mind. Once you choose your floorplan and are done customizing the unit from a list of options, you’re almost set to go. Assembly of the Azure ADU is done in a couple of hours, with site preparation done a day prior, and hooking it up to the mains in the following three days. All units are weather-proofed.

In short, Azure says that these units could very well be the future of the construction industry. They eliminate unnecessary waste and the need for large specialized crews, cut down production costs and times, and integrate the one resource that is seemingly inexhaustible: plastic. As a bonus, they're also incredibly cute.

Earlier this year, Azure unveiled its first office ADU, and it has plans to deliver 14 tiny house units for a Los Angeles-based real estate company in November. As of 2024, it aims to include a much larger floorprint in its offering, so it’s looking forward to a future in which units like these become standard. The company estimates it will soon be able to produce several units a day at its new factory in Culver City, California.

Azure 3D\-prints modular units for offices and tiny houses using plastic waste
Photo: Azure Printed Homes
The smallest Azure ADU is 120 square feet (11.2 square meters) and starts at $24,900, and prices only go higher for tiny houses. For instance, the 180 square-foot (16.7 square-meter) Iris studio bedroom starts at $43,900, while the Marina, which is double the size but still has only one bedroom, starts at $85,900. The largest tiny is the Sapphire, which comes with everything from two bedrooms, a dining room, and a washroom, and 900 square feet (83.6 square meters), starts at $204,900.

Since these are ADUs, you have to add to the figures above the cost of the land you’re going to place it on, as well as furniture and appliances, and shipping. Not once does Azure say that its ADUs are affordable, because it obviously can’t. The thought that you did your part in saving the planet is priceless – if you can afford it, of course.

If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Elena Gorgan
Elena Gorgan profile photo

Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories