Spin-off Anton Reiter advances Concrete Technology

The company Anton Reiter specialises in concrete technology, inorganic building materials, and design-to-fabrication workflows. Its portfolio already includes impressive state-of-the-art projects such as Tor Alva, the world’s tallest 3D-printed building. Both founders, Ana Anton and Lex Reiter, were researchers within the NCCR DFAB. In this interview, they introduce their company and share the expertise they bring to the market.

Founders Ana Anton and Lex Reiter showcasing an iterative design workflow through prototyping. Picture by Anton Reiter Sàrl-S

Ana and Lex, you are both former NCCR DFAB researchers. When was your first contact point and what did you work on?

We first began working together as PhD students in the NCCR DFAB on a collaborative project on 3D concrete printing between the Chairs of Digital Building Technologies and Physical Chemistry of Building Materials, the respective groups with which we were affiliated. Ana was trained as an architect at TU Delft and Lex as a civil engineer at ETH Zurich, but throughout our research we developed new skills that allowed us to collaborate effectively across disciplines. Our collaboration brought together different areas of expertise (design, prototyping, materials and process) to develop the printing process from scratch. It was a hands-on as well as scientific approach in which we prototyped, tested, and refined multiple strategies until we had the system fully operational.

You recently founded the company Anton Reiter. What expertises do you bring to the table?

In our company we bring together expertise in advanced digital construction processes and mineral building materials. On the design side, we focus on tectonic systems for concrete printing, design-to-fabrication workflows, and construction detailing that ensure compatibility between conventional concrete construction and custom-fabricated elements. On the material side, this includes developing tailored formulations and processing strategies with low-emission, high-performance concrete, geopolymers, and materials for additive manufacturing like particle bed 3D printing or layered extrusion. We also have expertise in developing and upscaling processes for prefabrication.

Anton Reiter is connected to a global network of specialists in digital concrete fabrication. How do these collaborations influence your work, and what role does shared expertise play in advancing your projects?

Throughout our research and professional work we have learned that every project is collaborative, especially in digital fabrication with concrete. Since no single person can cover all the required knowledge, building the right team is essential. We are part of a network and are able to gather the specialists to form a team even outside the main scope of our expertise. We offer insight into how materials, processes, and structural systems work, and what is generally possible with a certain technology.

Ana and Lex met as PhD students in the NCCR DFAB on a collaborative project on 3D concrete printing. Picture by Digital Building Technologies, ETH Zurich

Which markets and industries are you addressing with Anton Reiter, and what types of partners or clients are you aiming to engage?

Our focus is on design-to-fabrication workflows, mainly in collaboration with architects and contractors, to bridge the gap between digital design and physical construction. We help with the design of fabricatable building components, develop ways to join them into structures and prepare fabrication data for our manufacturing partners. We also support construction companies with material innovation in mineral binders, developing concrete mixes and fabrication strategies tailored to specific project or process requirements. The projects we seek are those in which construction products deliver clear added value, whether through their performance, durability, cost, or architectural expression.

Tor Alva, the world’s tallest 3D-printed building, is a great example of interdisciplinary research at ETH Zurich advancing digital construction. What role did you play in this project, and what does it represent for the future of sustainable and innovative architecture?

It’s great that you bring up Tor Alva- it was a significant achievement for all the partners involved. We had been developing the underlying fabrication processes and materials for several years beforehand, so this project was a natural culmination of that work and our time at ETH Zurich. Tor Alva is a powerful example of how a clear vision can be realized through teamwork and genuine interdisciplinarity, with industry partners playing an important role in bringing research into reality. The project has multiple layers, but to us it demonstrates how 3D concrete printing can act as a specialised, high-value complement to conventional construction. What’s special about Tor Alva is that its reinforced 3D-printed concrete elements have shapes you simply couldn’t produce cost-effectively with conventional methods. They seamlessly connect to prefabricated bases, making the whole structure modular and easy to dismantle.

There are plenty of concrete printing projects around the world, but very few demonstrate the kind of mature detailing needed for real architecture, especially at the intersection with other building systems. Building renovations could be an excellent application for digital fabrication, as they demand tailored solutions for materials and geometry. We think this is where digital fabrication shines, where you need solutions that are unique, compact, and fully integrated.

The 3D-printed concrete elements are assembled in Mulengs, Switzerland, to form Tor Alva. Picture by Benjamin Hofer

Finally, looking ahead, where do you envision Anton Reiter in the next five years?

We see Anton Reiter continuing to grow in skills and know-how, developing innovative projects in close collaboration with our partners, and offering ever wider range and quality service. In five years, we envision a portfolio of work that demonstrates how digital methods, material innovation, and close partnerships can create building solutions and marketed products with lasting value.

Get in contact with Anton Reiter: contact@antonreiter.com

Visit Anton Reiter’s website: www.antonreiter.com

In the spin-off portraits, companies are presented based on knowledge and expertise developed within the NCCR Digital Fabrication. The products, services, and competencies they now offer build directly on this research. Supported by our Knowledge and Technology Transfer (KTT) Officer, these ventures reflect the NCCR DFAB’s commitment to transforming academic excellence into practical solutions that advance bespoke design, sustainable construction, worker safety, productivity, and the creation of new products and employment opportunities. To date, the NCCR Digital Fabrication has facilitated the spin-out of nine affiliated companies, each rooted in its pioneering research in digital construction.