Founded by architect and technologist Peter Sepassi, PLYNTH 3D is developing a robotic system that prints high-performance building components from bio-based, fiber-reinforced wood. Its approach combines upcycled wood fiber with continuous reinforcement and large-scale robotic deposition, aiming to use harvested timber more efficiently while reducing embodied carbon. Sepassi previously worked at Bjarke Ingels Group and Shigeru Ban, and led design and technical strategy for the world’s largest 3D-printed housing development in Wolf Ranch, Texas.
X-Hab 3DBorn from an effort to address rural housing challenges in Alaska, X-Hab 3D develops robotic 3D concrete-printing systems for construction. The State College company grew out of Penn State engineering, architecture, and additive-construction research, bringing together rugged mobile or fixed-site printers with compatible materials and design software for projects ranging from homes to infrastructure. Its systems have been tested in demanding settings including sub-Arctic Nome.333248STATE COLLEGE, PA
Massive FormFounded by Dr. Masoud Akbarzadeh after more than 12 years of research, Philadelphia’s Massive Form develops structural designs and manufactures experimental building systems through computational design, robotics, and advanced fabrication. The firm is distinguished by its use of Polyhedral Graphic Statics, a three-dimensional geometry-based method Akbarzadeh helped develop, to create lighter structures that use less material and embodied energy. Its work ranges from long-span bridges to concrete 3D-printed construction prototypes.541310PHILADELPHIA, PA
Vitruvian BuildingVitruvian Building is an Athens, Ohio-based construction-technology company focused on using 3D printing to help communities create affordable, sustainable housing and infrastructure. Its work centers on making advanced building methods more accessible through the Scorpion construction-printing platform and related education for community participants.ATHENS, OH
InventWoodBorn from a 2013 University of Maryland research effort, Frederick-based InventWood turns ordinary wood into SUPERWOOD, a molecularly reengineered building material designed to combine wood’s warmth with steel-like performance. The company’s decade of research includes partnerships with the University of Maryland and Yale, more than 30 journal publications, and a 144-patent portfolio, culminating in commercial production at its Maryland facility. InventWood says the material can be up to six times lighter than steel, achieve a Class A fire rating, and generate 90% lower carbon emissions than steel production.FREDERICK, MD