A recent survey indicates 68% of Americans worry climate-related hazards could impact their homes over the next decade. The bottom line: resilient building systems like RSG 3‑D’s concrete‑insulated panels are gaining traction as homeowners seek insurability and long‑term savings. RSG 3‑D produces a structural concrete insulated panel system designed to increase home durability and resilience to climate-related hazards such as hurricanes, wildfires, floods, and seismic activity.
The system features expanded polystyrene insulation sandwiched between steel grids with a steel truss system repeating every 4 inches, which distributes loads across the structure. Concrete is applied on-site to form walls, roof, and floor.
Founder and design intent
The company was founded about 30 years ago by Ken Calligar, who designed the system to increase durability against hurricanes, wildfires, floods and seismic activity. In a 4,200-square-foot house in Pacific Palisades, five workers erected first-floor walls in a single morning. The method allows for faster and more predictable construction, and reduces labor-intensive tasks like measuring, cutting, and assembling individual components, enabling electricians and plumbers to run conduits and pipes through panels rather than drilling through conventional walls.
RSG 3-D estimates homes can be completed in roughly 11 months. Initially adopted by architects seeking sustainable designs, homeowners building legacy homes, and clients in high-risk or high-security environments, the system is now attracting broader interest as traditional ‘good enough’ construction from the past 50–70 years proves inadequate against serial wildfires, hurricanes, and flooding.
Calligar notes that builders often resist change due to familiarity with established crews and processes, but hesitation fades after hands-on use, as the system proves simpler despite being different. The company has trained crews extensively, having used the system thousands of times. In early 2025, RSG 3-D had no presence in Los Angeles, but by mid-year, 144 people had contacted the company online, with inquiries growing for wildfire rebuilds in Pacific Palisades and Altadena.
Homeowners in wildfire-prone areas are now prioritizing insurability, recognizing that inability to secure insurance can block mortgages and hinder resale. Calligar emphasizes that insurers require rational risk pricing, and demonstrating reduced risk through resilient construction encourages participation.
He also highlights that long-term homeownership costs—including energy, maintenance, and insurance—must be considered alongside initial construction, noting that concrete-and-steel RSG 3-D homes avoid issues like termites, rot, and frequent roof replacements common in wood-frame construction. Looking ahead, industry watchers will monitor whether adoption accelerates, how mortgage lenders respond to the risk-reduction profile, and whether policy incentives emerge to spur wider use of the panel system in hazard-exposed markets.
