Located right in the middle of the Chihuahuan Desert, the West Texan city of Marfa is something of an oasis. The city, known for its fertile contemporary arts scene, will also soon be home to a community of 3D printed villas thanks to a collaboration between Houston-based 3D construction company HiveASMBLD (formerly Hive3D), local developer Marfa Optimists LLC and architecture firm DeMaria Design, which specializes in innovative design and sustainability.
The community, named Lumen Villas and located at E. Washington Street and Ave C, has already broken ground, with the first 3D printed villa—already sold—expected to be finished this month. The rest of the community, which will eventually have nine single-family homes, has a projected completion date of 2026.
The city’s spirit of design innovation is only part of the reason that the 3D printed construction project is taking place there. A bigger reason is that Marfa’s housing market is strained, with locals struggling to afford the high cost of homes—driven at least in part by the high construction costs associated with Marfa’s remote location. HiveASMBLD and its partners are hoping that their 3D printed homes will create more options for local families, offering “high-quality living spaces that prioritize comfort and innovation” without breaking the bank. To this end, the pricing for a Lumen Villa starts at $345,000—substantially below the $495,000 median listed price of homes in Marfa.
“HiveASMBLD’s presence in Marfa is catering to a need that’s currently starved due to the lack of affordability that comes with developing and purchasing homes,” commented Robert Spiegel, HiveASMBLD, Chief Development Officer. “HiveASMBLD is demonstrating how innovative technology can create durable, energy-efficient homes faster and at lower cost than traditional methods. These nine homes are designed not only to expand housing options in Marfa, but also to serve as a model for how advanced construction methods can help address the broader affordability crisis across Texas and the U.S.”
Manufacturing on Demand
The Lumen Villas community will span 54,000 in Marfa and house a variety of single-family builds, ranging in size from 1,500 and 1,860 square feet. The smaller homes will be two bed and two bath, while the larger villas will have up to three bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms. According to HiveASMBLD’s social media posts, the printing process in well underway. In March 2025, the company wrote that it was printing 3-4 walls a day, and by April it had nearly completed the printing of hollow cores for the first three homes. The walls are printed using HiveASMBLD’s mobile robotic arm printer and a low-cost geopolymer cement replacement, which is reportedly carbon neutral and stronger than traditional portland cement.
“HiveASMBLD is focused only on building high-quality homes that will last, withstand harsh weather and require less maintenance than traditional construction methods,” added Ethan Wong, Inventor and Co-CEO, HiveASMBLD. “Our design build features, including mass walls paired with modern, high-efficiency HVAC systems and Energy Star–rated appliances, mean the cost of ownership goes beyond the purchase price, resulting in lower monthly operating costs, fewer maintenance demands and a home that’s built to perform sustainably for decades.”
Lumen Villas in Marfa is the 3D printing construction company’s second major project. The first is Zuri Gardens, which we wrote about recently. The Zuri Gardens community will span 13 acres in Southeast Houston and include 80 affordable housing units with an average size of 1,360 square feet each. Pricing for these houses starts at under $300,000.
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Author: Tess Boissonneault
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