OBI Kickstarter Script v3

This version is inspired by the structure of the GVCS TED Talk.

Hi, my name is Marcin, founder of Open Source Ecology. And I’m Catarina, co-founder of Open Materials.  We started a new initiative called Open Building Institute. We took on a very big, hairy, audacious goal. We have identified a formula- which we think - can make affordable, ecological housing widely accessible.  We examined the best practices of house construction, and began developing an open source, DIY house-building system that anyone can build and maintain at a fraction of the cost. We call this the Eco-Housing Construction Set.

Is this reinventing the wheel? Yes. Let me tell you a story.

I finished my Phd in Open Source Hardware  - and as a City girl from Brooklyn - married to the middle of nowhere, Missouri - where Marcin had all his crazy open source machines. But the housing at my new home just sucked.

I called some contractors, but what I wanted  to build was either too expensive, or did not exist.

I needed a house that was attractive / modular / efficient to build / low cost / made from local and recycled materials / and that could be built as a seed home - so we could add on as needed. I realized, that we would have to build it ourselves.

So we did just that. We took out our open source high power brick press - and through much trial and error - developed a parallel, modular build process. Parts were built on the ground by a large team - and then quickly assembled in place. We found - that a good house could be built from scratch - in 5 days. So then we continued refining our process and design. We built our aquaponic greenhouse - in 2 days. So far, we’ve build 7 CEB buildings, and have developed a hybrid, modular building method that can produce a high performance house with ecological features - in a matter of days - using our social production model. Hmm...I’m wondering… how about - One Day?

Now we are taking this to the next level. We don’t believe that an average person in the West - should be paying an average of $1.2M over their lifetime - just to have a home. (Subtitle: 1.6 billion people lacked  adequate housing,  2014 UN Figures). Using our modular building system library - we are developing an expandable, 675 sq foot starter eco home that can be built for $22k in materials. Check out the features - like off grid PV, heated floors, biogas stove, water catchment, and an aquaponic greenhouse add-on.

To make this home available to a wide audience, we are creating an immersion training pilot program for builders, so you can hire an OBI builder - wherever you are.  Our goal is that this training - allows for a process so tight - that the overall cost of a finished 675 square foot home - is only $10k over the price of materials.

And it gets even better. We are putting years of our crazy machine building experience together  - as an open source Materials Production Facility. This facility will have a stabilized brick production line - a lumber sawmill - bio-fiber insulation production - a continuous lime burning kiln for producing lime using local limestone - and a large format 3D printer for printing polycarbonate multiwall greenhouse glazing. This facility will be 100% solar energy off grid capable. This would allow anyone anywhere to build with natural, local, and recycled materials, for their own community. Construction - biggest emitter of CO2 on the planet - consider it solved.

This is very ambitious, and our Secret Sauce-  is Open Source. We have recruited an amazing array of Subject Matter Experts to realize every detail of this build, from autonomous housing, compliance, closed loop water systems, energy and materials - and more (scroll through our SME Advisors and Collaborators page, bamm.).

From what we’ve seen - this is only the beginning. If this idea is truly sound, then the implications are significant. As incremental housing Architect Alejandro Aravena said in his TED Talk - “ the purpose of design… is to...use people's own power for building.” Yes, there are the deeper issue - of access to land. But for right now, Let’s make sure that those paying far too much for a house - or the 1.6 billion without adequate housing - can at least have a realistic option for an open source house now - and dignity tomorrow.

Support this kickstarter, pass this on to your friends, and spread the word on your social media. Thank you.