Can 3D-Printed Homes Solve Mexico’s Housing Crisis or Just Another Empty Promise?

In the heart of Mexico City’s Azcapotzalco borough, a small team is racing against time and entrenched systems to confront a mounting crisis: the nation’s staggering shortage of affordable housing. With over 10 million homes missing in Mexico alone—an urgent gap widened by halted construction during the COVID-19 pandemic—this entrepreneurial group is betting on high-tech solutions that mainstream construction has long ignored. At SEED, a company blending artistry with technology, a novel approach emerges: using a giant 3D printer to craft buildings from eco-friendly mixtures of earth, coconut fibers, and rice husks. Their prototype—a modest coffee shop structure boasting seismic...