Civilization Construction Program

Introduction

OSE's ultimate goal is to equip denizens of earth with an integrated skill set for building the world around them.

We have done hundreds of builds of infrastructure projects and machines since 2006. You can see some of this work in the Global Village Construction Set TED Talk, now nearing 2 million views:

To take the next steps, we are finally installing 1GB internet at our site and getting ready for the next phase of construction. Through the years, we have developed Extreme Manufacturing techniques where we do educational group builds. We would like to test the limits of what we can do to make this a viable model for building regenerative infrastructures - with open hardware technology.

Concepts

If we get 24 people together for 3 months working on a dedicated project - what can be accomplished? What if we take that up to 50 people? What can we do with 200 people on site?

The experience must be framed as an immersion education program, where participants are gaining skills that they could not get anywhere else.

Support staff required would be 1 staff per 12 people. Insource food to the participants, and build

Infrastructure:

1. Kitchen
2. Showers
3. Bathrooms
4. Beds
5. Laundry
6. Sinks
7. Outdoor covered space

Strategy

1. One way to achieve the 50 person operation is to bootstrap from 24 participants. This way, we improve upon existing techniques, document while we are at it, and provide priceless experience. This depends upon a sufficient base of open source technology being established. Facilities thus created can serve as the seeds of new OSE Campuses.

Natural Construction

In the prairie, prairie architecture is appropriate. We could use CEBs with living roofs, and evergreens on the outside to blend with the environment. The key is establishing effective CEB production and construction.

Concept

The concept is a crazy regenerative design learning camp, where students build a 1 acre village with a completely regenerative infrastructure. This includes water works, energy production, materials production, waste treatment, building, and permanent agriculture plantings. Some of the techniques we use are:

1. Extreme Manufacturing
2. Afforestt
3. Autonomous building
4. Miracle Orchard
5. Hydrogen power
6. Solar energy installation
7. Solar concentration with saturated water storage
8. Vermiposting
9. Seed Eco-Home technology
10. Compressed Earth Block construction
11. Green roofs
12. Pervious pavement
13. Aquaponic greenhouse
14. Perennial polyculture
15. Open Source Microfactory construction
16. Compost production
17. Hay bale production
18. Wood-plastic composite production
19. Solar concrete production

Execution

To get there - we need to be regenerative in how we handle infrastructure. This means that we need to implement closed loop materials and energy cycles:

1. Renewable energy - PV and night-time power generation at night.
2. Plastic recycling - to 3D printing filament with shredders and filament makers.
3. Water cycles - water purification from a large surface pond, up to ozonators. Requires ponds and earthworks.
4. All organics are composted after shredding.
5. Toilets - vermipost after macerating pumps using Seed Eco-Home separating toilet technology.
6. Wood chips - for walkways, generated from excess local vegetation
7. Charcoal - for night time fuel, generated on site
8. Humus - generated via composting for growing food
9. Concrete - local rocks are burned to make cement
10. Steel - steel is recycled to virgin materials via melting.
11. Local Tractors and Power Cubes - mastery of mechanical infrastructure is required.

Revenue Model

The revenue model must be developed to fund all the work done. Let's take the 48 person scenario.

• 48 people + 4 staff

edit

Low Cost Budget via Access to Inrastructure Machines

Budget assumes open source machine infrastructure for producing:

1. Bulk water - requires tractor for pond, etc.
2. Compost - mowing the countryside for bales
3. Concrete - from local rock. Requires tractor, heavy excavator
4. Steel - from scrap
5. Plastic lumber from trash; wood-plastic composite lumber
6. Lumber from outsourced logs
7. Drinking water
8. Wood chips
9. Saturated water production
10. Hydrogen production
11. Charcoal
12. Hay bales
13. Afforest installs using open source nursery stock or bought stock.

The concept is that tuition pays for the work done. Most work can be done with OSE lifetime design machines, with tractors, power cubes, and charcoal.

Baseline costs for materials are low if we produce concrete, CEBs, plastic lumber, and more.

Modular Program

The program is treated as three one month immersions, with each month being self-contained. Given the vast amount of material covered, each month can have different content and subject areas. We focus on generalist education, so we offer all options during each month. People can take different tracks, but they must work together. The key to effectiv design of the program is a balance of classroom, hands-on teaching, and collaborative projects. Projects are concrete and well-defined, so that a quality experience is had, and clear direction is found

Support Infrastructure

• Showers and toilets - 2 per 16 people - [1]

Links

• Summer of Extreme Design-Build