Our Mexican Wall and Roof Paneling System

The wall and ceiling/roof panels are revolutionary and quickly spreading around the world. These Styrofoam core panels have a built-in steel mesh forming triangulated trusses within and a grid on both facings, apt to receive on inch of concrete on both sides. Thus a fireproof and 'rock-solid' panel is achieve, capable of high resistance to both lateral (hurricanes) and axial loads (earthquakes). A remarkable early application of these panels is the Tijuana-San Diego project of 1990 by Habitat for Humanity and Jimmy Carter. These 100 robust social houses were built by volunteers with as only tools pliers and tying wire. They were then concrete finished by a single Gunnite applicator. They can be seen today, still rock solid and pretty almost 20 years later.
Although we mostly endorse the concrete finished wall panels, two alternates exists that we use for areas without an adequate supply of concrete or concrete finished. These are the fiberglass 'Golden" sheets and the fibercement panels.

MEXICO- Primo Tapia BC - The Paraiso Prototyping Hill

Great news, bloggers, we have acquired hillside lots to allow prototyping of our newer models, testing them for human and physical interaction. This will allow confirmation of processes, costing, environmental resistance, but also as a way to confirm new ideas and try them out. Since none of these lots will be electrified for a few years, we are considering the use of a solar package in at least one of them.

Sincve we need to test our solutions in real-time, we have acquired lots where we will be building several portotype houses, each proving out a few of the newer techniques. One of these involves the Mexican polystyrene steel concrete shell technology as integrated in our own panel making ways. Some of these houses will eventually be sold when the utilities are brought in, the profits reinvested in the Institute for further development.

SINT MAARTEN - Guana Bay - Beach Condos that Successfully Weathered a Devastating Force 5 Hurricane

A pleasure it was to build in the sunny islands, with grateful owners and rental users year round. The unique geometry with the near absence of right angle corners inside and out still gives pleasure to thousands of visitors as can be seen in these web sites by owners.

• Frank Leone in Guana Bay Beach
• Another condo at the same resort
• Geo Holiday Web Page
  

VIETNAM - Nha Trang Projected Beach Retirement Community

Retirement clusters spread on a grand set of dunes by a lovely beach. On top, north American clusters where each owner is fully isolated from his neighbors in spite of the fact that they share a common plumbing and utilities core connection. Very economical, they provide privacy and comfort without wasting land use and grounds utilities.

In that project, the same basic arrangement is treated in the local idiom by simply changing the roof for synthetic grass over a membrane, also using local craftmen to decorate the panels prior to their erection. These are confined on a small island in the project were artists are invited to stay to create a restful haven for tourists and retirees, having flute players and teachers of Tai Chi and martial arts do demonstrations.

USA - Los Alamos NM- Ski Lodge From Our Oversized Panels

The Los Alamos Ski Club gave us a chance to try out a simple 3 story steel structure of our design and completely enclosed, roof and wall, with panels injected in our large presses. This plant of ours in Los Alamos innovate in several areas of machinery, methods and product. In the commercial construction field, steel shells are very suitable and popular. This building is still used very effectively 20 years later and its cost was an amazing $17 per ft2

Remarquably, this structure does not need any heating after 9AM in ski season. The body heat of skiers and cooking kitchen with the sun showing up through the large plate glass is more than enough to keep the shell toasty inside till late in the afternoon. R36 wall and roof panels along with supertight joint guarantee that result, along with properly oriented windows.

None of this is really surprising if one studies this text concerning steel clad urethane panels used since the late 40's. Their longevity and sustainability is simply amazing.

The Vietnam Beach Resort Project Near Nha Trang

Retirement clusters spread on a grand set of dunes by a lovely beach. On top, north American clusters where each owner is fully isolated from his neighbors in spite of the fact that they share a common plumbing and utilities core connection. Very economical, they provide privacy and comfort without wasting land use and grounds utilities.

In that project, the same basic arrangement is treated in the local idiom by simply changing the roof for synthetic grass over a membrane, also using local craftmen to decorate the panels prior to their erection. These are confined on a small island in the project were artists are invited to stay to create a restful haven for tourists and retirees, having flute players and teachers of Tai Chi and martial arts do demonstrations.

Living High

International Housing Industry Involvement -1972-2000

THE 'CONNECTORS' PROBLEM

Stick-built housing uses too many tiny connectors like nails, staples and small screws. Too many to easily inspect as too many miss their mark (this was shown in the forensic studies after Andrews stormed Homestead FL).

The New Mexico Technical Developments

The Los Alamos factory was built to develop three new technologies relating to foam injected paneling systems and other aspect of the Archimede construction techniques. All achieved complete proof of our starting hypothesis:

• Extra-large panels from a new 'crossover platen press' ,
• Built-in metal cladding system with concealed edges and hidden connectors,
• Passive solar for commercial structures
• Steel structural frames requiring little or no post-finishing.

One of the original partner in these ventures is Eric Treisman, a Santa Fe attorney still very active with the Institute. His long-standing involvement with North American native tribes and with Tibet has been a source of enlightment for all of us.

THE 'HEART-LUNG'MODULE

Photo above shows three 'wet modules' being built at Louisiana plant. These bathrooms are fully tested before being loaded in a container. Their corner posts projecting downward allow plumbers and electricians to go under if needed. These 'high heels' are simply cut-off with a chainsaw before loading. Containing the service entrance panel and the back 'wet' wall to the kitchen, those compact modules are the coe of all Archimede houses, removing at leat 50% of all technical tasks at the building site, speeding up assembly immensely. Below, a 120 m2 (1300 ft2) 2-story house that can be built for well below $50,000. A few of these were erected in Venezuela in 1994.





























At the right, the 'San Isidro' version of the house above as being completed in Isla Margarita VE. Note that three or more houses could be shipped into 2 40-ft containers and that erection time of these prior to stucco finish is only a matter of a few days, thanks in part to the fact that the more technically complex wet module carries most of the wiring and piping. This is why we at the Institute call this concept by Poirier the 'heart-lung' module of any house we fabricated.
It must be said however that the fact that all of these pressure-injected foam core panels are already prepared at the plant with doors and windows, also with notching for roof beams and other task requiring precision. Making these in a weather controlled plant having positioning fixtures or 'jig' is the way to go!

Wall And Roof Treatment Variations