Cover Maggie Grout is the founder and CEO of Thinking Huts, the non-profit behind the first 3D printed school in Madagascar
Maggie Grout is the founder and CEO of Thinking Huts, the non-profit behind the first 3D printed school in Madagascar
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When she was just 15 years old, Maggie Grout founded Thinking Huts, an international non-profit that uses architectural 3D printing to build schools in developing countries with a mission to increase global access to education
“My name is Maggie Grout. Shortly after I was born in a rural village in China, I was abandoned in a basket and discovered by an orphanage worker. My life could have followed a very different path if it weren't for the opportunities I found through education...”
Maggie Grout's origin story is hard to ignore. As she acknowledges in the above excerpt from her founder's profile on the Thinking Huts website, the odds weren't in her favour. But her life changed when, at 18 months old, she was adopted by an American couple who raised her to think independently and lead a life that would make a difference in the world in spite of her humble beginnings.
“I was brought up with a sense of morality and that our time on earth should mean something,” she says. “I truly think that by not clipping my wings, my parents allowed me to dream of what could be possible and to find a way to make it a reality.”
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Above Maggie Grout, 23, founded Thinking Huts when she was 15 years old
Maggie Grout, 23, founded Thinking Huts when she was 15 years old
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While she may have traded life in a rural village in Dawu, Hubei for a happy childhood in Colorado, US with her new family, she never forgot her roots. In high school, when most teenagers are still figuring who they are and what they want to become, Grout knew her true calling. She founded Thinking Huts in 2015 to help make education more accessible globally, addressing fundamental infrastructure barriers that affect many communities in developing nations.
“Where I come from shapes my whole outlook on life. I can relate to the people we serve and understand firsthand how pivotal education is in changing the trajectory of someone's entire life– with education comes more choices and opportunities of aspiring towards anything a child may dream of. Thinking Huts fills an infrastructure gap where children will no longer be limited from attending school due to the obstacles of overcrowding, long travel distances, or there being no school to begin with.” she says.
In this conversation with Tatler, she touches on the milestones that she's most proud of, the realities of being a teen founder and the joy of working towards a future where humanitarian-driven tech solutions bridge the gap between education and empowered communities.
When did your interest in architectural 3D printing start? What were the key events that prompted you to turn Thinking Huts from a dream into a reality?
I think my motivation to start Thinking Huts stems from a desire to build a solution that leaves a humble legacy that impacts millions beyond one lifetime. The spark occurred when I was having a conversation with my dad in his office one day. He brought up how 3D printing was in the beginning stages of being used on an architectural scale and it all clicked for me.
I could intuitively see how 3D printing would allow us to build stronger schools in a fraction of the time while reducing construction waste and if implemented in a thoughtful way, could have far-reaching ripple effects on how international development is approached in empowering people with the tools to succeed and venture beyond their origin village– bringing back their learnings to break the cycle of poverty for multiple generations. From there, I embarked on a long journey to bring together the people, resources, and find communities who welcomed the solution we presented.
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Above Thinking Huts trains local construction teams in 3D printing operations (Photo: Andry Niaina)
Thinking Huts trains local construction teams in 3D printing operations (Photo: Andry Niaina)
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Tell me a bit more about the organisation's approach and initiatives.
Our approach is to leverage humanitarian-driven technology solutions, in the form of architectural-scale 3D printing to build schools, to address a real problem in the world with innovative technology that is usually only seen in the venture capital world of Silicon Valley. We also employ and train local construction teams on printer operations to not only empower new skills but to boost economic development.
Above Grout at 18 months old
Above Now the proud founder of an international non-profit
Grout at 18 months old
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What are some of the most significant achievements or milestones that Thinking Huts has accomplished since its founding?
Opening Madagascar's first 3D printed school in April 2022 is the most significant milestone because it signifies that despite life events which may appear out of the blue, such as the pandemic, anything can be accomplished with the persistence, hope, and passion to keep going. My initial vision was a world where every child has the opportunity to grow up and achieve their dreams, it really has not changed since then.
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What was life like being the founder of this organisation at such a young age?
To be completely real, it was a bit crazy at times trying to balance everything and it is still something I am working on. I have always been a Type A personality and perhaps this helped during my teenage years with balancing school while figuring out how to build a company from the ground up.
The nonprofit built its initial Hut, 'Bougainvillea' in 18 hours of total print time for the walls and an additional 12 days for the roof, door and windows, which were locally sourced
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What were the biggest challenges of establishing Thinking Huts?
The main challenges I faced were navigating across multiple male-dominated industries of construction and technology while holding my own in a leadership position when so few people look like me. I learned that to be taken seriously, I would have to work three times as hard and I needed to develop my confidence to own all of my accomplishments when it is so easy to doubt yourself.
Is there anything you would have done differently or earlier?
Looking back, I would have spoken up more often and stopped worrying about making everyone happy.
Above Grout is a graduate of The University of Colorado Boulder
Grout is a graduate of The University of Colorado Boulder
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What are your future plans and goals for Thinking Huts?
If we are successful in bridging the gap between poverty and wealth, the audacious goal would be to scale Thinking Huts to every country where education infrastructure is needed.
The vision is so clear in my mind, but we must find creative ways to infuse philanthropic support to serve as many communities as possible and bring innovation to areas of the world that would otherwise not be aware of it. The next country would likely be Kenya, though the timeframe is not committed as to when we would scale beyond Madagascar.
The upcoming project in Madagascar is highly anticipated as it will be the world's first 3D printed school campus. How will the campus benefit the communities there?
The Honeycomb Campus is the full vision that encapsulates the beehive symbolism of bringing together everyone to achieve a shared vision. This initiative incorporates thoughtful innovation with all the infrastructure which would be necessary for a community to thrive long term– solar power, toilets, water, wifi.
My greatest hope is that every member of the three villages are enabled by using us as a stepping stone to extraordinary accomplishment. In 20 years I would love to meet the first class of students, who by then may be married at the right time and have families of their own, to see what lives they built and what their dreams are for their children.
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Previously contributing to Esquire Malaysia, Expat Lifestyle and Newsweek, Tania oversees digital stories across Tatler’s key content pillars, also leading the Front & Female platform exploring issues and topics affecting women today.
