Additive Tectonics: Using SCA Tech for Construction Innovation

3D printing in construction is rapidly gaining ground. According to Precedence Research, the market is valued at 15.43 billion dollars in 2025 and is projected to reach 1.4 trillion dollars by 2034. This technology offers solutions to some of the industry’s key challenges, such as material waste and construction timelines. In this context, Additive Tectonics is proving that 3D printing is not only viable in architecture, it has the potential to radically transform how buildings are conceived, designed, and constructed. We spoke with Bruno Knychalla, the company’s founder and CEO, who shared his insights on the potential of 3D printing, as well as some of their latest projects. Don’t miss it!

3DN: Could you introduce yourself and tell us about your connection with 3D printing?

Hi, I’m Bruno Knychalla, founder and managing director of Additive Tectonics. My background is in architecture, but I was more of a fabricator before my studies. I come from a family of industrial fabricators, and I developed 3D printers within my uncle’s company. He’s also part of Additive Tectonics today the wise man in the back, quietly making things work. 

When I decided to study architecture, it was because I wanted to understand how to build and design but also because it seemed like the perfect use case for 3D printing. Every building is (or at least should be) different, so you’re naturally dealing with complexity, variation, and the need for custom components. At the time, the big limitations were scale, material properties, and speed. But we’ve solved a lot of that now. So in a way, I’m still in the process of proving a theory I had 15 years ago: that additive manufacturing and architecture are compatible or even made for each other. 

3DN: How was Additive Tectonics created and what need did you see in the construction industry that you wanted to address?

Architecture is facing some serious challenges right now: massive material waste, a growing shortage of skilled labor, an industry-wide digital lag, and let’s be honest a lot of aesthetic monotony. At the same time, we saw that no one especially from the digital fabrication side was really stepping up with answers that could scale industrially. Traditional construction companies tend to move slowly when it comes to innovation, and most additive companies weren’t thinking at the scale or complexity of architecture. So we decided to start our own company. 

Additive Tectonics was born from the idea that digital production could do more than just create efficiencies it could reshape the logic of how we build. We focus on real-world components: roofs, walls, acoustic systems, parts that need to perform structurally, fit into workflows, and still allow for design freedom. Our goal was never to just “3D print architecture.” We wanted to rethink tectonics the fundamental way buildings are assembled, through an additive lens. And we wanted to do it in a way that’s practical, scalable, and materially meaningful. Our goal is to offer 3D-printed buildings, interiors, and furniture.

3DN: Could you explain what your Selective Cement Activation (SCA) technology is and how it works?

Selective Cement Activation, or SCA, is a particle-bed 3D printing process we developed specifically for architecture. It works with material systems made from standard building materials which is the first hurdle to clear when working in construction. We offer different formulations, but our most successful development so far is econitWood a hybrid of repurposed beech wood chips and a magnesium-based Sorel cement used as a binder. We mix the dry binder with wood particles and activate it using saltwater. Wherever the activator touches, the material hardens. The rest stays loose and can be reused. In the case of econitWood, the binder not only holds the particles together but also makes the material fire-resistant. 

What’s exciting about SCA is the level of freedom it offers at a scale and speed fit for the building industry. No molds, no standardized parts. We can print structural elements with integrated reinforcement channels, patterns that perform like insulation inside the parts, cavities for technical systems, and even embed connection points directly into the component. Our current print speed is around 1.5 m³ per hour, so we’re ready for large-scale construction. 

We’re now developing hybrid systems like roof components that act as both lost formwork and structure, or multi-functional building skins that combine digital detailing and building functions like insulation with spatial expression. We’ve also just finished developing a next-generation version of the technology, capable of producing parts with the strength and resilience of concrete and doing so even faster. 

3DN: How do you ensure sustainability in your production processes and material selection? 

Let’s take econitWood as an example. It’s a material we developed using waste beech wood, the kind that’s normally pressed into pellets and then burned. Instead of sending it straight into the energy cycle, we give it a second life as a high-value, design-ready material for interiors, furniture, and acoustic systems. Together with the mineral binder, we’ve created a material system that avoids plastics and embraces circular input streams. 

We’re also actively developing local geopolymer binders as a replacement for traditional cement. Geopolymers are made from industrial byproducts and can be processed at much lower temperatures than Portland cement. That means significantly less CO₂ emissions, no need for limestone calcination, and a more resilient, durable end product. Because we work regionally, we can source and formulate these materials based on what’s available locally, keeping both carbon and supply chains short. 

Beyond the materials themselves, additive manufacturing allows us to use them more intelligently. We only place material where it’s needed, no excess, no offcuts, no formwork waste. There’s no need for molds, and every component is customized by default. That level of control means less waste, less transport, and less post-processing, all of which adds up to a much leaner, smarter approach to building. 

3DN: Can you tell us about some of your most representative projects? What challenges and achievements would you highlight?

Two recent highlights come to mind. First, Printed Nature — a collaboration with designer Harry Thaler at Alcova 2024 during Milan Design Week. It was a spatial installation showing curvy furniture made from econitWood placed inside a dune-scape. What many people didn’t know is that the “dunes” which looked like mountains of wood chips were also printed in econitWood. Since the old building slabs where the installation took place couldn’t bear much weight, we invented a lightweight flooring system to make it possible. 

The second is our large-scale installation at the Venice Biennale, created together with the Berlin-based architecture office SUB. It’s about to be published and demonstrates how additive manufacturing can operate architecturally at scale. It’s a deep integration of form, structure, and material designed and built as a unified system. We represent the “Natural” section of an exhibition titled Intelligens: Natural. Artificial. Collective. 

Beyond the concept and setting, it also meant printing every day for three weeks straight a kind of stress test for our system, and one we’re proud to have passed. We’re also currently working on full-scale building applications. These are still in development and as always in architecture, that takes time but the first test parts are already being printed. This is where the real innovation will unfold. 

3DN: Any last words for our readers? 

Architecture has to change fast. We’re facing global challenges, but also gaining access to tools that allow us to rethink how and why we build. Additive manufacturing isn’t just a more efficient method; it’s a new logic for construction — one that lets us combine performance with expression, precision with sustainability. We believe that the future of building lies at the intersection of craft, code, and care, and we’re just getting started. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you feel like you have the right project in the world of construction that could benefit from this approach. We need built examples to break down the barriers of the unknown. 

What is your impression of Additive Tectonics? Let us know in a comment below or on our LinkedIn or Facebook pages! Plus, don’t forget to sign up for our free weekly Newsletter to get the latest 3D printing news straight to your inbox. You can also find all our videos on our YouTube channel.

*All Photo Credit: Additive Tectonics