Why I Built Land of Assets
Ben Houston • 2 Minutes Read • February 3, 2026
Tags: land-of-assets, about, mission, 3d-infrastructure
Land of Assets was born out of frustration.
The Mission
As 3D on the web has exploded, the infrastructure to support it hasn't kept up.
I saw developers and enterprises consistently struggling with the same problems:
- Git is not for assets: Storing gigabytes of binary data in Git bloats repositories and slows down CI/CD.
- S3 is too raw: Raw storage buckets don't understand 3D. They don't visualize, validate, or optimize your models.
- Existing tools are for artists: Platforms like Sketchfab are incredible, but they are designed for portfolios and social interaction, not as an asset backend for your application.
- Enterprise tools are inaccessible: Robust solutions existed, but they were locked behind expensive contracts, long sales cycles, and clunky "enterprisey" user experiences.
Land of Assets is the answer. It is the missing piece of infrastructure that brings enterprise-grade 3D asset management to every developer, with a modern, API-first experience.
The Origin Story
This platform is built by Ben Houston, a veteran 3D software developer who has lived through these problems at every scale.
1. Hollywood Scale (The VFX Roots)
Ben began his career building tools for the visual effects industry.
- Founded Exocortex and Frantic Films Software.
- Created Deadline (acquired by Amazon) and Krakatoa, technologies used in Star Wars, Harry Potter, The Avengers, and hundreds of other films.
- Lesson Learned: High-end production requires rigorous, reliable, and scalable data management.
2. The Modern Web (The Open Source Roots)
As the web evolved, Ben became a core contributor to the ecosystem that powers today's 3D web.
- Major contributor to Three.js (animation system, HDR pipeline, PBR materials).
- Contributor to the glTF standard at Khronos Group, helping write key extensions for materials and dispersion.
- Lesson Learned: The future is open standards and browser-based delivery.
3. Enterprise Needs (The Business Roots)
Ben co-founded Threekit (raising $65M) and Clara.io, working with massive brands like LVMH, Crate & Barrel, Ralph Lauren, and Milwaukee Tools.
- Lesson Learned: Enterprises need security, collaboration, and specific workflows that hobbyist tools simply don't provide.
Why This Matters
I built Land of Assets because I wanted it to exist.
I wanted a place where I could push a 3D model via CLI, get a versioned, CDN-ready URL, and pull it into a Three.js scene five seconds later. No git LFS headaches, no S3 permissions nightmares, no "portfolio" bloat.
It is designed to be technically superior, highly logical, and respectful of your workflow.
If you are a developer building with 3D, this is for you.
— Ben Houston
Get in Touch
We are responsive to developers and want to hear from you. Whether you have feature requests, technical questions, or just want to chat about 3D infrastructure, join us on Discord.