Ronald Rael, co-founder of 3D-printed wood maker Forust and Eva Li Memorial Chair and Professor at the University of California Berkeley College of Environmental Design’s Architecture department, joins Mitch Ratcliffe. Ronald co-invented Forust’s method for printing wood with realistic grain using sawdust and lignin, the natural adhesive in wood.
Forust’s 3D-printing system can mimic the natural grains and colors of different species — including rare rosewood, mahogany, and ebony — that are the cause of widespread deforestation. Because it is printed, Forust wood can be shaped for use in furniture or and printed to serve as a structural support in building — it opens a whole spectrum of novel applications of wood in construction. Learn about the potential uses of Forust’s “digitally rematerialized wood.”
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