Relentless How Land Raising Works | Laurence Allen, Terranova
Dec 11, 2025
Laurence Allen, Co-founder and CEO of Terranova, dives into revolutionary underground wood-chip slurry technology aimed at raising land while mitigating flooding. He explains how his background at SpaceX shapes the company's efficiency and innovation. Laurence discusses the political hurdles in securing funding for resilience projects, the remarkable advantages of using wood chips, and how AI helps model geological conditions. With a focus on scalability and real-time construction, he highlights the potential for transforming cities like Miami using waste wood.
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Cost And Speed Limit Traditional Flood Defenses
- Conventional flood tools (seawalls, levees) are expensive, slow, and brittle for municipalities.
- Laurence Allen positions Terranova as a low-cost, shovel-ready alternative that enables incremental protection on a maintenance budget.
Prioritize High-Value, Modelled Projects
- Vet projects by modeled value per acre and existing infrastructure to prioritize high-impact sites.
- Use underground geology models and cost tooling to rapidly screen many opportunities before on-site work.
Modular Units Enable Rapid Land Lifts
- Modular equipment lets Terranova scale lift rates: an ARC supports three rovers and moves ~20 truckloads/day.
- One ARC with three rovers can potentially lift an acre by a foot in a day, enabling rapid deployments.