Tvasta and 14Trees launch Cedar, an AI-enabled construction 3D printer

Tvasta, a Chennai-based deep-tech startup born out of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, has partnered with construction 3D printing company 14Trees to develop and launch Cedar, a construction 3D printer equipped with digital intelligence and that lowers capital requirements. The system’s AI capability is engineered to optimize material performance and enable the processing of standard, locally available concrete mixes instead of specialized mortar-based materials.

With backing from Holcim, British International Investment (BII), and—more recently—Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund, 14Trees has grown into a global construction 3D printing firm since its founding a decade ago. The company’s mission, like others in the construction AM space, has been to develop solutions for more sustainable and cost-efficient building. Among its notable projects are the first 3D printed school, opened in 2021 in Malawi; and a series of 10 houses in Kenya, printed in just 10 days. While both these projects relied on COBOD technology, in 2023 14Trees launched its own system the Iroko.

Now, in cooperation with deep-tech company Tvasta, the construction firm has introduced a new, more intelligent platform for building houses. Cedar, described as the “first AI-ready 3D concrete printer” is a large-scale portal-frame system developed and manufactured in India. The system is distinguished by its AI-driven material optimization capability, called 14Trees AI Companion, which analyzes thousands of material mixes and makes it possible to print standard concrete formulations. These are more readily accessible and cheaper than proprietary 3D printing material mixes.

This ability, according to the partners, can bring about dramatic reductions in material costs (up to five times cheaper) and open up more sourcing options. As a consequence, Tvasta and 14Trees believe that the Cedar 3D printer will help bring automated construction AM to the mainstream.

“Automated construction technologies have already demonstrated strong technical viability,” said Francois Perrot, CEO of 14Trees. “For these technologies to scale across the global construction industry, they must also make strong economic sense for developers and contractors. Cedar was designed to dramatically improve project economics, lower adoption barriers, and enable construction companies to deploy automation at scale.”

Cedar itself is based on a modular portal-frame architecture that can print structures up to 10 meters in height and with footprints of up to 240 square meters. This flexible scale makes the system suitable for printing a range of structures, from residential and commercial buildings to industrial facilities and infrastructure. Moreover, the companies point out that the system has a lower capital investment than other construction 3D printing systems on the market. For end users, the 3D printing systems will be deployed globally by 14Trees, and the company offers full support services spanning design optimization, material development, operational training, and on-site project delivery.

“By combining advanced manufacturing capabilities with cutting-edge robotics, software, and scalable engineering systems, Cedar delivers a robust and reliable platform built for deployment across highly diverse construction environments globally,” added Adithya V S, CEO of Tvasta.