TIME names RENCO a Best Invention of 2026

TIME included RENCO, a Florida-made composite structural building system, in its Best Inventions of 2026 list as builders look for faster, lower-waste and more hurricane-resistant ways to build housing. RENCO says its automated Jupiter plant can produce enough components for the equivalent of 6,000 apartment units a year.

Why it matters: - Housing costs continue to rise, pushing builders to look for faster and cheaper construction methods. - RENCO is positioned as a structural system that could reduce build time, material waste and storm risk at the same time. - TIME recognition can widen attention for alternative building materials in a market under pressure for more affordable housing.

What happened: - TIME named RENCO to its Best Inventions of 2026 list. - TIME said the annual list includes 300 innovations changing daily life. - RENCO is a Florida-based composite structural building system designed to be faster to assemble and near-zero-waste. - RENCO says its fully automated manufacturing facility in Jupiter, Florida, is now open.

The details: - RENCO’s system uses precision-molded structural components that interlock and bond with adhesives into one monolithic structure. - The company says the proprietary renewable composite mix combines glass fibers, resin and naturally occurring minerals. - RENCO says the system is pound for pound more durable than concrete systems while weighing one-fifth as much. - The building system is rated to withstand Category 5 hurricanes and resists fire, water, mold and pests. - Color-coded plans guide on-site assembly, with no cutting, no scraps and very little waste. - RENCO says compression molding machines with robotic arms and pultrusion lines produce every component at the Jupiter plant. - The facility can produce enough components for the equivalent of 6,000 apartment units a year. - At RENCO’s first U.S. development in Palm Springs, Florida, a crew of 11 unskilled workers built each of four three-story structural shells in about eight weeks. - RENCO President Ken Smuts called the system one of the biggest changes in construction in a century. - Smuts said the company is offering a cost- and time-saving alternative to conventional wood, steel and concrete structures. - RENCO managing director Patrick Murphy said the system arrives on site ready to assemble and reduces the need for dumpsters and large amounts of waste.

Between the lines: - TIME’s selection suggests the housing and construction sector is giving more weight to manufacturing-based building systems, not just conventional materials. - RENCO’s pitch combines three market pressures: affordability, speed and resilience in hurricane-prone areas. - The company is also building credibility through third-party recognition beyond TIME, including first place for building innovations at the JEC Composites Innovation Awards in Paris and Best Construction Product Design at the BLT Built Design Awards in Switzerland. - The product’s evaluation under ANSI-certified laboratories and IAPMO approval for use under the International Building Code, including High Velocity Hurricane Zones, signals a regulatory pathway that matters for broader adoption.

What's next: - RENCO invited media to tour its fully robotic factory in Jupiter and see components being manufactured. - The company is likely to use the TIME honor to expand awareness among builders, developers and housing policymakers. - More projects will be watched closely for whether the system can scale beyond early demonstrations and keep its speed and cost claims in larger builds.

The bottom line: - RENCO is being marketed as a factory-built answer to a housing market that needs cheaper, stronger and faster construction.