The post 3D Printing Affordable Housing to Replace “Sticks & Bricks” Construction appeared first on Sunconomy.

• Last for centuries, not decades
• Are affordable to homeowners (notice I didn’t say cheap)
• Can withstand 220 MPH wind
• Can withstand 8.0+ earthquakes
• Won’t burn to the ground like wood homes will
• Has very low maintenance cost for homeowner
• Can lower hazard insurance cost for fire, hail, wind, earthquake and flood thru design and engineering
• Offers renewable energy options for Net Zero reducing energy bills significantly
• Offers rain water catchment systems designed for draught areas
• Include IoT and technology features integrated for practical application of devices and services

Front Entrance Genesis Model

Night View of Front of House

Spacious Roof Garden or Entertainment Venue

Demonstration of 3D Printed Concrete house

I would love your feedback. Contact me if you would like one built for you. Sign up for updates just above on the right.

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We will be building small, smart, affordable housing very soon in our 21 acre eco-village in Montgomery, TX and teaching other contractors and real estate developers to build with this new technology. This is a game changer and I invite you to sign up for updates on the right hand side of our home page. Check out the video below:

Of course, the cost to build small, sustainable, affordable homes  in the USA will be more but the cost savings using the 3D print technology coupled with great designs and engineering will build a home that:

• Can stand up to an EF 5 tornado
• Last centuries – not decades like current wood houses
• Be energy efficient and be able to use renewable energy to produce a Net Zero house
• Have lower insurance costs because our homes will be designed with a proprietary mix that is 5-6 times stronger than concrete currently used in the home building industry
• Can be designed with water catchment systems and filtration systems that mean you don’t have to rely on drinking water from government entities like those in Flint, Michigan

Stay tuned….the home construction industry is about to change for the better!

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I have signed an Agreement with Apis-Cor in Moscow, Russia to bring to the USA, the first true 3D printer for affordable housing. We will be able to build the structure for a single family house in a day with virtually no waste, and built super strong and providing very low utility costs. Now that’s Sustainable!!

Sunconomy and Apis-Cor will change the way affordable, smart, sustainable housing is built.

We anticipate a crowdfunding campaign to start shortly to build 2 “proof of concept” models (seen below) to be given to a 100% disabled veteran and to a Restore Texas Prison Ministry to support men transitioning to normal life. this is kind of a “Pay It Forward” approach to changing the world of construction as we know it.

If you are interested in following our progress, please sign up for updates on the right side of this page under “Get Sunconomy Updates”.

Below are 3D floor plans of the two houses we will be building as part of our “proof of concept”.

These are just two of many different designs we will have that support our concept of:

• Affordability due to faster construction with less waste
• Super strong housing up to 220 MPH wind resistance
• Net Zero energy use with LED lighting, high efficiency heat pump and appliances
• Rain water catchment enabled
• Healthy interior with natural materials
• Smart design with IoT (Internet of Things) in home automation and security standard
• Working to lower insurance costs due to design and materials that significantly lower risk of major hazards such as fire or roof damage.

If you are interested in having one of these homes built for you, please send me an email with “3D Home Buyer” in the subject line to [email protected]

If you are a homebuilder and want to learn how to use this new technology in your market, email me with “3D Builder” in the subject line.

If you are wanting an interview or more information for publishing, please email me with “3D Press” in the subject line.

The post Want a 3D Printed Affordable Home? appeared first on Sunconomy.

• Approximately 110 affordable, small, sustainable houses
• Short term cabin rentals (about 25)
• 8 Tiny House parking spaces
• Job training programs and employment opportunities
• Community outreach programs for all ages
• Training in aquaponics design and construction,
• Wind, solar and biogas renewable energy
• Micro-grid and battery storage for select houses,
• E.V. (electric vehicle) production and training facility
• Restaurant with culinary school
• Computer labs and mentoring facilities for small businesses
• Eco-Versity – I am in discussions with MicroSoft (TM) to integrate their new Hololens into our eco training program to include community sustainable design, permaculture design and applications, futuristic transportation applications and more.

The construction of housing will utilize used shipping containers, SCIP (structural concrete insulated panels), earth bag, and advanced framing techniques as a showcase on what’s possible.

If you have an interest in keeping up with the development or are interested in living and working in this wonderful community, please sign up below for more information to be on our mail list. The first 500 people signing up will be invited to our grand opening and get to ride the ZIP line Free!! (after you sign a waiver of course).

Click Here to Subscribe 

Here’s a land plan put to paper by my friend and colleague Dwight Rozier at Rozier Design Studios for you to check out…(He did an awesome job)

Affordable Housing, Renewable Energy, Sustainable Design and a Zip Line to wake you up!! If you want the full, color drawing just click the email subscription below and PLEASE give me your feedback, comments, suggestions or maybe even your interest in living in this one of a kind Texas development!

The post 21 Acre Eco Village Development appeared first on Sunconomy.

Off-Grid Solar for Aquaponics system

A rural customer recently hired me to install an off-grid 1,200 watt solar PV system to operate the fans and pumps in their greenhouse behind and to the right of the solar array in the picture above. With the help of Bill Swann, a retired but active solar enthusiast, we added a solar tracking unit to increase the efficiency of the solar array by 20+ percent.

What was interesting about this job was that it combined my interest in solar with an aquaponics system (installed by others) to grow fish and veggies and is totally off the grid. We also installed a 500 gallon propane tank and 2,000 watt Honda generator as a back up to the solar system. (remember the 4 months of constant rain we had January-April in 2015?).

The point was that the owners didn’t want the fish to die and the system to crash because of a power outage. They “prepared for the worst and hope for the best” and that is what the Boy Scouts taught me 50 years ago! It’s still true and probably applies more that ever with the way things are going around the world these days.

I sized the system to be able to run for up to four days without any input from the panels. The air and water pump use a minimal amount of power but the two big fans running 10 hours a day in the heat of the summer can really burn up some kilowatt hours. We put timers on them to make sure they didn’t run when it got cooler at night.

The solar tracking concept is something Bill and I are going to work on to improve. Since this is the first “off-grid” system he has installed a tracker on we discussed the need for a DC (direct current) motor to move the panels instead of having to run a 11o volt wire and plug back from the invertor. Even though the motor uses a minimum amount of power, using 110 v. means extra labor and material. So Bill ordered a smaller DC motor and is playing with it now to make it work with the arduino chip he uses in the tracker.

Another interesting note is the yellow “Tiny House” behind the solar array on the left. That is where we put the batteries, charge controller and inverter. It houses a water well with an old fashioned hand pump that I thought was clever. I hadn’t seen one of those in years and it was installed as a back up to the electric pump used for the well.

We learn something new every day!!

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This is 2015 if you can believe it…some call it a new beginning but starting over isn’t the way I look at the new year. My mission has been to build a business model that helps train foster kids, graduates of homeless programs, veterans that have gone through PTSD programs and HISD special needs kids to build small, smart, sustainable housing that is affordable, healthy and sustainable.

I’ve worked with many people to get to the point where we are ready to build affordable housing coupled with gardens and/or aquaponics systems around the homes so that people can enjoy a more sustainable lifestyle. Eating healthy and living in an environmentally safe house are high priorities for us. Help us spread the word if you like what you see and believe that Houston and surrounding areas need affordable housing.

Grey over Red with Trellis

Red over Grey without Trellis

The post Tiny House from Shipping Containers appeared first on Sunconomy.

The design will use two recycled shipping containers modified into a beautifully modern home to offer solar PV and thermal water heating, LED lighting, rain water catchment for use to grow fruits and vegetables, a green roof, recycled building materials. The design will include an artistic flair that promotes joy and appreciation of nature.

The space creates an 880 sq. ft. interior footprint that invites the outside in using a large clearstory open space connecting the two structures. The windows and doors are designed to provide a visual vista throughout the home.

Unique furniture, colors and textures will give the owner of the home the ability to change the interior theme at will. “This is a design feature that you would typically see only in an art gallery” said Larry Haines.

“I have developed funding sources for the buyers so we can get them into this house quickly” he added. Anyone interested in learning more may contact Larry@.

The post Sunconomy.com to Build Shipping Container Tiny House appeared first on Sunconomy.

The post Aquaponics Partnership wins United Way Grant appeared first on Sunconomy.

Architend, commissioned to complete the preliminary land plan produced  a comprehensive layout for the 46 acre facility that helps homeless men transition back into the mainstream. The plan for the project is to make the eco village open to people that want to build or rent  smart, small, sustainable houses built by Sunconomy and to open the eco village to become a resource center for people to come and learn green building, advanced farming techiques, permaculture design and even be encouraged to open and grow their own small businesses.

Download the concept drawing here…  14001 Master Plan Preso

Healing Hands Ranch and Sunconomy are developing job training programs, long term employment opportunities and joint ventures with other non profits to promote an end result of “lives with purpose”. It’s one thing to go through a program to get off the streets but staying off the streets takes a job, people that care and long term commitment.

Jack and Vicky Hay are leading the efforts that God has placed on their hearts to change the lives of young and old men through a faith based ministry that is seeing some great results. Your prayers are needed and we encourage your support!

Contact Larry Haines for more information

The post Land Plan for Eco-Village Done…and it’s great! appeared first on Sunconomy.