How It Works
We use sustainable geopolymer concrete and 3D printing to build customizable homes.
Building A Sustainable Future With Geopolymer Concrete & 3D Printing
We have created a set of interlocking bricks made of a proprietary geopolymer concrete that can combine together to make complete watertight structures. Using 3D printing, each brick is customizable to adapt to different sizes and interface with currently existing products, without added cost.
Geopolymer Concrete
Condensing the entire structure of the home into several proprietary variations of the same material, geopolymer concrete provides reduced supply chain costs and removes the need for dozens of different parts, components, and connectors all with their own intermediate manufacturing and transportation needs. Not only does this reduce cost and carbon emissions, but geopolymer concrete is more sustainable and improved over traditional concrete. Made from locally-sourced recycled materials, it has incredible longevity, having been used to build structures such as the aqueducts, which have lasted over 2,000 years.
Compared to Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) concrete, geopolymer concrete has improved specifications in compressive strength, freeze/thaw resistance, sulfate resistance, sulfuric acid attack resistance, mold and mildew resistance, drying shrinkage, fire resistance, specific creep, and is eligible for carbon credits due to producing less than 10% the CO2 emissions as OPC.
3D Customizable Brick Molds
Using 3D printing to create our brick molds allows for infinite customizability without added cost. Our molds are made from an eco-friendly recyclable material and the end of their useful life and can be cleaned and made into fresh molds, providing a truly sustainable manufacturing process.
Having manufacturing capabilities on-site means that if issues arise, or changes are needed, it is as easy as changing a few lines of code and producing new brick on site in a matter of hours. This means we can combine keeping a stock of “vanilla bricks” with the ultimate ability to use just-in-time manufacturing processes.
Complete Ideal Structure
Our mechanically interlocking, surface bonded system provides all of the elements required for the superstructure, including insulation and finished siding. We have condensed the following elements of the structure into one single-supply chain product and easy assembly process:
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Foundation
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Subfloor
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Walls
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Ceiling
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Roof
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Insulation
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Air and vapor barrier
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Interior siding
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Exterior siding
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Connectors and sealants
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Mounting supports for the other home elements (i.e. windows, electrical conduit, mechanical systems, etc)
GeoCon Bricks
We have developed a set of modular brick types capable of forming the entire structure of the building. Using a small set of repeated brick designs, we can create custom walls and home designs, allowing for infinite flexibility without added cost. The bricks are made from a proprietary geopolymer concrete, which has fewer CO2 emissions than traditional concrete with improved technical capabilities.
Dry-stacked & Surface Bonded Bricks
Once the custom set of bricks for that specific home design are ready on-site, they are dry-stacked in place, without the need for mortar. This saves both time and skilled labor requirements.
Once in place, the bricks are sprayed with a proprietary mix of fiber-reinforced geopolymer concrete, eliminating the need for steel rebar. This allows for easy assembly now and robotic assembly in the near future.
Universal Mounting System
After the bricks have been locked in place with our tension-reinforcing spray applied mix, the mechanical systems can be placed, or “roughed-in”.
Our customizable bricks and on-site manufacturing means we can design custom mounts to hold any existing component or part, allowing for flexibility in design and system choice. On the outside, this grants easy mounting of systems such as solar panel racks.
GeoFoam
Once the mechanical systems have been “roughed-in” and inspected, our proprietary geopolymer mix can be spray applied.
On the interior, this mix takes the place of drywall. It can be colored or textured, can include mounting points for hanging wall appliances and decorations, and can even be formed into 3D shaped patterns allowing for truly unique interiors.
On the exterior side, we spray an air and vapor barrier around the entire structure, creating a complete shell without any puncturing holes or breaks. This allows for improved ventilation, energy efficiency, and improved interior environmental quality.
Once dry, we spray our proprietary GeoFoam geopolymer concrete mix which not only provides the insulation (up to R-40/R-60 as needed) but also becomes the exterior siding of the home, protecting it from the elements, fires, and UV.
Assembly, Not Construction
By simplifying the on-site process into easy steps, we allow a greater amount of labor types to be utilized. Rather than needing skilled workers with years of specialized training, we have developed a system such that anyone who can assemble IKEA furniture can assemble homes, with the oversight of a single trained manager. This is also the first step to automating the entire construction process.
Once each step can be simplified down to easy-to-learn steps, we can use robots to not only manufacture the bricks, but assemble them and spray apply as well. This means ultimately, we can have an end-to-end automated manufacturing and construction process resulting in maximum worker productivity.