Army considers 3D-printed construction for child care centers

The Army Corps of Engineers is seeking companies with ideas on using modular housing, hybrid construction and 3D printing for child centers at Fort Bragg and Robins AFB.

The Army Corps of Engineers seeks companies with ideas on using hybrid construction and 3D printing for child centers at Fort Bragg and Robins AFB. Robots that conduct 3D printed construction work March 26, 2026, at Fort Bliss, Texas. (Rose L. Thayer/Stars and Stripes) The Army used 3D-printed construction to quickly replace barracks at Fort Bliss, Texas, earlier this year. Now it’s asking builders whether the same construction technique could be used to build child development centers. In a request for information posted Wednesday on the federal government’s contracting website, the Army Corps of Engineers asked for companies to weigh in on using modular housing, kit-of-parts facilities, 3D printing and hybrid construction for child development centers at Fort Bragg, N.C., and Robins Air Force Base, Ga.

The military has struggled to provide enough child care spaces to meet the demand of its families over the years, in part because it lacks enough space on installations that is appropriate for child care. The waitlists for care grow while families wait years on the construction of new facilities to complete. The Army turned to 3D-printed construction when it needed to replace hazard-filled transient barracks at Fort Bliss. Printing 10 buildings totaling 5,700 square feet took 58 days, according to the Army. The contract to delivery was nine months, and the barracks opened