Why is there no pricing on your web site?
Our Systems are all site built using local labor and materials. Material and labor prices will vary considerably from site to site and country to country.
Additionally, pricing will depend considerably on site and project conditions. Things like soil conditions and grading will have significant impact on foundation costs. Also, the size and quantity of structures and the degree to which they are repetitive has significant impact on per square foot (or meter) pricing.
Finally, we do not build and therefore do not provide construction budgets. We license our technologies to contractors and developers by region and work with them to provide project budgets.
For these and other reasons we do not advertise construction costs.
What we can say is that generally speaking, the building envelope may cost approx. ½ of a traditional structure of the same size, may generally be built 3x faster and may have between ½ and 1/3 the life cycle footprint.
How do I get Binishells on my property?
Binishells licenses our technologies to contractors and developers by region. We provide architectural designs and engineering calculations (to be endorsed by local architects and engineers) for all projects. We currently have partnerships in Canada (BC) and US (California) and a partnership in development in Portugal.
If your project is outside of those areas, a local builder who is qualified and interested in being our local licensee will have to be identified. We typically work with for larger Statewide or Nationally represented contractors with significant experience in specialized concrete and more specifically shotcrete applications.
There will be some additional costs involved with the first project, and those will have to be absorbed either by the licensor or the project budget. Typically this will only make ‘larger’ first-time projects cost competitive when compared with traditional construction.
Are Binishells code compliant?
Yes. Binishells are designed to be code compliant internationally. With the exception of Home Owners Associations, our experience is that based on their superior performance in regards to life/safety and environmental impact, Binishells projects gain approvals faster or as fast as traditional construction. We cannot speak to HOAs as they often cite stylistic or architectural guidelines that are based on standard or traditional architectural styles.
What are the site requirements for Binishells?
Binishells can be built on any site. The only restriction is that we recommend that a concrete batching plant be no more than two hours from the site. There may be ways around this restriction though.
Do Binishells work with other green materials and methods?
Yes. Binishells can be built with a variety of concrete mixes including but not limited to Hempcrete, Light Weight Concrete and can use alternative materials and reinforcements. However, we typically spec. a proprietary low carbon concrete mix which is environmental and code compliant internationally. Binishells can integrate the same passive and active green design features as traditional construction.
Can Binishells be built to look like traditional buildings?
Intrinsic to Binishells is the idea of providing safer, greener shelters more affordably. As such, we have ‘thought out of the box’ to bring a suite of building systems that result in more resilient and effective structures. We believe that the aesthetic resulting from this new approach is an asset, rather than a liability.
Binishells have been around a long time. Why have they not caught on?
The original systems were developed in the 60s, 70s and 80s. Of these 1,600 were built in 23 countries. These are case studies that prove the effectiveness of our technologies. Recent years have seen one of the largest change within building in modern times. The change in the legislated and market demands towards resiliency (safety and environmental efficiency) combined with the affordability gap and the technological enhancements of our new Systems, make Binishells more market relevant than ever.
What makes Binishells different from Monolithic and other technologies using Air-Forms?
The original Binishells and Dr. Dante Bini’s patents pre-date Monolithic. Air Forms were pioneered by the great Wallace Neff and our new technologies are in many ways similar to his original ideas. What makes our new Systems unique is their architectural flexibility, their simplicity and resulting reduced costs and construction speeds. Essentially Binishells has improved upon the state of the art in Air Forms to provide the fastest, greenest and most affordable systems while still providing for exciting and efficient architectural forms and floor plans. Binishells technologies have also developed beyond air pressure to deploys other natural forces to build simply and beautifully.
Can Binishells use standard doors and windows?
Yes. All of our systems can use traditional doors and windows if required, and some of our Systems are specifically designed to use standard doors and windows. The only piece of unique or prescribed equipment required for some projects may be the pneumatic form work (pneumoform), while others technologies may be built using only standard materials.
Can I buy the pneumoform and build myself?
In order to maintain a high level of quality assurance for our brand, customers, product and end-users, we license only to qualified contractors by region. We do not teach end users or others how to build using our Systems because we feel that the process we have developed is the only way to effectively introduce our technologies in a variety of markets while maintaining our quality standards in safety, environmental efficiency and design.
What about Binishells failures?
Of the 1,600 Binishells that were built using the original technologies, two failed. The failures were due to incorrect means and methods used as well as outside influences. The new technologies have integrated the lessons from these failures, from tests and field experience in 36 countries over more than 60 years.
How are you addressing affordable and disaster relief housing?
One of our primary missions is to provide safer, low impact and affordable housing solutions for single home and multi unit developments. We are currently prototyping a next generation affordable housing solution which may be rapidly, easily and permanently deployed for emergency and affordable shelters. Currently our System E is our most cost-effective solution and may be applicable to low-income multi-unit developments.