Scawo3D

Scawo3D is an additive manufacturing company that prints structural and architectural concrete components for architects, engineers and builders. It grew out of Scawo, a firm known for CNC-milled formwork, and now uses Selective Paste Intrusion (SPI): a powder-bed method in which a printhead places cement paste into layers of aggregate. This produces dense, isotropic concrete with geometric freedom that cast or extruded concrete struggles to match, with no molds required.

Key features

• SPI printing – patented inkjet printhead for cement paste in a powder bed
• Large build volume – a 4 x 2.5 x 1.5 m chamber that prints about 15 cubic meters in roughly 8 hours at 3 mm layers
• Structural strength – concrete in strength classes from C25/30 to C60/75, suitable for load-bearing parts
• Material control – adjustable color, density and mechanical properties
• Formwork-free fabrication – curves and organic geometry produced straight from digital files
• Computational design support – in-house workflows such as automated design for 3D-printed stairs

Who it's for

Scawo3D works with architects, structural engineers, contractors and artists on custom projects: freeform staircases, facades, vaulted ceilings, pedestrian bridge elements, landscape pieces and installations. It also offers research and development partnerships and machine customization. Projects include a two-story elliptical staircase and the 'Bridge the Gap' pedestrian bridge prototype, developed with the Technical University of Munich.

How it works

Clients supply a design or work with Scawo3D's computational design team to adapt it for printing. The geometry is sliced into layers, and the printer spreads thin layers of aggregate while the printhead deposits cement paste only where the part should be solid. Loose material is removed after curing, leaving a finished element that can be installed on site.