Rebuilding efforts in LA. Image Courtesy of ABB Robotics
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https://www.archdaily.com/1033163/ai-powered-robotics-support-rebuilding-homes-in-los-angeles-fire-zones
ABB Robotics and US-based construction technology company Cosmic Buildings have deployed a mobile robotic microfactory in Pacific Palisades, California, to support the rebuilding of homes destroyed by the 2025 Southern Californian wildfires. Designed as a temporary, on-site manufacturing facility, the system aims to reduce construction time, costs, and material waste while producing housing that meets high standards of safety and sustainability. By combining AI-powered automation with modular construction techniques, the collaboration demonstrates how robotic manufacturing can be adapted to remote and disaster-affected locations. The companies suggest that such approaches could become a key tool in delivering resilient, affordable housing on a large scale.
A finished Cosmic housing unit with microfactory behind. Image Courtesy of ABB Robotics
Housed within a large tent on a vacant plot, Cosmic’s microfactory centers around an ABB IRB 6710 robotic arm integrated with the company’s proprietary AI-driven Building Information Model (BIM) platform and Robotic Workstation Cell. The setup uses ABB’s RobotStudio digital twin software to simulate and optimize each stage of the building process before fabrication begins. On site, the robot assembles standardised wall panels by joining two-by-six-inch lumber boards into frames, attaching plywood sheathing, and preparing the components for immediate installation. Two workers support the process, feeding raw materials to the robot and removing finished panels.
ABB robot assembles panels. Image Courtesy of ABB Robotics
Each panel takes around 20 minutes to produce, enabling the frame of a house to be completed in approximately 10 days. The remaining construction, including exterior cladding, flooring, and roofing, is carried out off-site before final assembly. According to the companies, this approach reduces build time by up to 70% and overall costs by around 30% compared to conventional methods.
Related Article The Impact of Wildfires on Building Codes: Reflections on the Recent Los Angeles Fires 
ABB IRB6710 working in Cosmic micro-factory. Image Courtesy of ABB Robotics
The modular designs produced through the microfactory incorporate non-combustible materials, solar panels with battery storage, and water independence through greywater recycling and renewable water generation systems. Each unit is designed to exceed California‘s wildfire resilience and energy efficiency requirements. Cosmic plans to construct 100 homes by 2027 using the mobile factory model, with the current site expected to operate for two to three months. The system was conceived in response to the Palisades and Eaton fires, which destroyed over 16,000 structures earlier this year. The microfactory itself was assembled in about 30 days, offering a rapidly deployable solution for disaster recovery. ABB and Cosmic position it as a prototype for broader applications in the construction industry, addressing challenges such as labor shortages, high costs, and environmental impact.
Cosmic Home with solar panels. Image Courtesy of ABB Robotics
A finished home, built by Cosmic Buildings. Image Courtesy of ABB Robotics
Recently, the Eames House, Case Study House No. 8, reopened to visitors following a five-month closure caused by smoke damage from the Palisades Wildfire. In other Los Angeles news, the City Council has approved BIG’s Mesquit Street mixed-use complex, and the first photographs of the long-anticipated David Geffen Galleries at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) have been released.