The Corduroy Castles is an innovative five-home development in Olivehurst, California, designed to address the state's critical need for affordable housing. In partnership with a forward-thinking investment and development team, this project utilizes 3D concrete printing technology to reduce the cost of homeownership to below market rates in the rural town of Olivehurst.

The development - the first 3d printed development in California - comprises five 980-square-foot, single-family houses arranged on small lots with semi-shared, cross-lot yards to foster a tight-knit neighborhood community. 

Each of the five houses are being finished with different materials such as stucco or exposed printed beads, and each house has different roofs so that the  development not only tests different material systems but demonstrates options for future clients.

Architecturally, the project balances the need for affordable housing in this community with local heritage and building technology to give each home a distinct identity. At the same time, each house has been designed slightly differently to test out different 3D printing cababilities and efficiencies across the 5 “castles.” 

By testing new construction methods with regional aesthetics, the Corduroy Castles establish a new, scalable benchmark for below-market housing while also breaking from the traditional farmhouse styles found across Olivehurst.

The first of the five houses - defined by its hooded windows and stepped parapet - is completed with the next two currently under construction.