The latest leading edge technology for earth contact structures is a modular construction system, manufactured with composites, designed to be covered with earth and vegetation. We offer living spaces that are:
BIOTEKT is a unique combination of old and new technologies and sustainable construction methods: Earth berm construction, green roofs and walls, passive solar design, and prefabricated composite shells. In this beautiful synthesis we solve the problems usually associated with earth construction like high labor costs and intensive craftsmanship, as well as the problems with prefabricated housing, which are generally less permanent, lightweight structures. BIOTEKT systems are divided in two distinct products, ECOSPHERE™ AND OASIS™; both of them are based on a super-strong, insulated, composite shell formed by various shapes that can be combined to form an enormous variety of floor plans, with domed and vaulted roofs and straight walls. In the ECOSPHERE™ the shell is then covered with earth and plants to form a massive structure, and in OASIS™ it is covered with stabilized sand and a mixture of local materials. The shell is formed of lightweight components that can be quickly put together by a crew of three men with hand tools, and includes ducts for wiring and plumbing where necessary; it can be built over a simple concrete slab or over a basement.
The Ecosphere™ is a lightweight but strong shell, made of composite materials, designed to be covered by earth and vegetation. An Ecosphere can be built above grade...
Over 300 million people live in the worlds deserts and semi-deserts, where a vegetated system like the Ecosphere would be very difficult to build and expensive to mantain...
Our systems are modular and have been designed to adapt to your needs; There is an endless range of possible variations in design that can be formulated to fit almost any project...
The oldest building methods use the earth as a building material. Adobe, cob, rammed earth, and earth-sheltered construction, are being used more and more as alternatives to conventional types of building. In particular the idea of covering a structure with living earth and plants, and using the thermal stability and security provided by the proximity to the ground, is very appealing in a primal way. However, this type of construction has always been difficult and expensive to achieve, adequate ventilation and adequate water-proofing in this type of construction have never been easy with traditional methods, and often the result is overbuilt, requiring an extremely strong structure that does not collaborate with the earth surrounding it. The BIOTEKT system has addressed these problems in an entirely new way, using the age old methods of building with earth in conjunction with the space-age technology of composite materials...
U.S. Copyright VAu001254027 - U.S. and International Patent information available on request.