SUDÖKO HOUSE

Construction systems currently available are by far one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions, while destroying the planet through the unsustainable use of natural resources.

SUDÖKO HOUSE is a building technology based on a set of very simple blocks that can be handled by one single person, and assembled and disassembled without any construction knowledge or experience. It's mainly aimed at housing but it's also suitable for any other building. Every block is made by sustainable materials, can be manufactured locally and can be reused to construct another building. It can also be repaired ad infinitum or recycled with a null balance of carbon footprint.

The lack of affordable housing is one of the main challenges for the human population. Through SUDÖKO it's possible to have your own home, starting with a tiny house and progressively increase the size according to your needs and your economic possibilities.

Unsustainable and unaffordable housing are two of the current biggest challenges for both the planet and the humankind. 

When referring to sustainability about buildings, it can be approached from two different perspectives: a) the use of natural resources dedicated to the construction of the building (energy sources and materials), and b) the energy consumption of the building during its lifespan. While the most advanced regulation and building codes in the developed world are mainly focusing on reducing the energy consumption through stronger isolation and highly efficient facilities, the construction process and the raw materials used are still lagging behind. Both targets are equally important.

The world population is exponentially increasing, and housing remains as one of the main basic needs. Consequently, it’s the highest personal investment through the life for most of the people in the world. Without a safe house, there’s no home, no health, no protection, only little chance to survive. As expressed by the first target of the eleventh Sustainable Development Goal, it is urgently needed to“ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums”.

No sustainable housing, no planet; no affordable housing, no life.

With Sudöko House people can build their own house, by themselves. Whether they are "nomads" often changing their residence, population with high environmental concerns, low or medium income households or refugees/displaced population in need of temporary housing.

Affordable, progressive and transportable housing, meaning a house that you can enlarge or reduce according to your needs in life, and that you can disassemble, transport and assemble it again in another place, allows you to build the size of the house that you need in the exact moment of your life, and expand it afterwards, if your life requires it. Consequently, you don’t need to ask for a big mortgage to purchase something that you don’t need in the current moment. As it is a modular system, it’s also possible to sell the pieces that you don’t need anymore.

In numbers, according to certain studies, the World prefabricated housing demand was estimated to be 3,4 million units by 2019. It would be reasonable to consider 1% of the market within 10 years. It the tendency continues growing in the same ratio it would mean a market of 450.000 units by 2019.

Sudöko House website

BE PROGRESSIVE

You can be free from mortgages and rents

Invest now in the home that you need NOW and make your SUDÖKO HOUSE bigger when you need it.

BE A NOMAD OR A SETTLER

You can rent land and the house will remain yours

Pay for renting the land, but let the SUDÖKO HOUSE be your investment. It is up to you if you prefer to buy land, and build your house there. If you ever have to move, your investment is not fixed, it is a house that can keep its value forever because you can transport it.

BE SUSTAINABLE

For you, for the planet, for all of us

Environmental sustainability, for the planet and the future generations. Social sustainability, for an affordable house made under fair conditions. Economic sustainability, for your bank account.

BE PROTECTED

Feel free and feel safe.

SUDÖKO HOUSE is earthquake and hurricane resistant. A home is not a place, it is a feeling. No matter where you settle your SUDÖKO home, it will protect you.

WHY IS SUDÖKO HOUSE SO SPECIAL?

All the pieces can be handled by only one person

You don’t need machines to move the pieces, nor do you need any construction knowledge. Just one person can handle every piece of the system.

WHAT ELSE CAN I BUILD?

Whatever you want

A house, a garage, a playground for the children, a house for the dog, a dinner terrace, a greenhouse, a vertical farm, a table, whatever...

HOW BIG CAN IT BE?

As big as you want

It's a mechano system, the possibilities are infinite. Yes, it is possible to build more than one floor.

WHERE CAN I BUILD IT?

In a garden, in a parcel, inside the city, in the nature, over the roof of a building, in the forest...

You can build it wherever the public administrations will allow you to do it. You can connect it to the water, sanitation and electric networks or you can be autonomous and remain off-grid.

WHAT ABOUT THE PERMITS?

SUDÖKO HOUSE fulfills all the technical requirements commonly applied in the most developed countries

SUDÖKO is a mechano system that allows to build temporary constructions or fixed constructions.

WHY THE NAME SUDÖKO?

SUDOKU + ÖKO (ECO)

SUDOKU inspired the shape and the function.

ÖKO means ECO, because this is the world we want.

SUDÖKO HOUSE is the first building technology that combines all together the following features of the blocks:

• They can be used to create whatever construction, with almost no limit in design, from small houses to enormous buildings.
• They can be made very complex or very simple, depending on the conditions to tackle the building aim. And still the keep the interconnect capacity.
• They can comply with the most exigent building codes of the developed world.
• They can be made from different materials. Despite wood is the current best candidate, it might be suitable for recycled composites or similar sustainable products.
• They can be built locally, in order to reduce the carbon footprint of the transport.
• They are versatile to be suitable in many different positions.
• They can be transported, even inside small vehicles (obviously not many at once).
• They can be assembled and disassembled by people without construction skills.
• They can be handled by a single person, without the need of auxiliar machines.
• They are all reusable, reparable and recyclable.
• They are few different types.

There are two main technologies inside SUDÖKO HOUSE:

1. The geometrical shape of the pieces. It is about finding geometrical dimensions for pieces that, assembled, can create usable spaces, while at the same time, they can be handled by one single person.
2. The connector between pieces. SUDÖKO HOUSE use an already existing wood connector, and it currently aims to develop a new one, even more suitable for the system (so far under development).

SUDÓKO HOUSE provides a direct housing solution of three main needs: it is affordable, transportable and sustainable.

It's perfectly suitable for certain groups of target population, each one of them with different aims and economic possibilities:

1. Sustainable concerned population
2. "Nomad" population that changes often their residence place
3. Middle and low income households
4. Refugees and internal displaced populations in need of a temporary housing solution
5. Companies in need of temporary premises

• Currently: only me, testing the prototype 
• In one year: 10 pioneer testing projects
• In five years: 100 people for the first set of big scale production

The first prototype has just been tested, regarding assembling, performance data collection and disassembling. The next step for the coming months of 2019 is to develop all the technical information, including assembling instructions.

A company must be created in order to operate the commercialization of the system. The main target areas for the next 5 years will be the European Union and United States; therefore, these areas will be the selected regions to introduce the first 10 pioneer projects during the next year. After the data collection and correction of the system (if needed), it will be the moment to expand the solution worldwide. 

• Within the next year: 10 pioneer testing project (located in Spain, Belgium, Germany and United States).
• Within five years: reaching 100 people for the first set of big scale production (located around the whole European Union and United States).
• After the fifth year: 1000 houses for the sixth year, increasing 100% of production each year (worldwide).

Barriers expected for the next year and the next five years:

• Financial: as single individual I have not enough financial resources to launch a big scale production.
• Technical: further research should be done in order to improve the connection system and simplify the manufacturing of the pieces, but I lack time to develop both.
• Legal: I don't know yet the legal aspects of selling such pieces of a mechano system, which may be considered construction materials, in the European and North American market.
• Cultural: average people might not believe that they could build their own house without owing technical knowledge or construction skills. On the other hand, some population might be reluctant to acquire a moveable house. The idea of adapt the size of your own house according to your needs in life, might be strange for some people, used to believe that a house is a fixed item, in terms of size, and place.
• Market wise: I have a lack of knowledge of national and international product marketing. On the other hand, most of the other types of prefabricated houses are still cheaper than Sudöko House as they don’t include the option of disassembling and reassembling, which increases the cost of the production. Last but not least, bank mortgages might be complicated to get for those that will need it, as the Banks may consider a moveable house a non-safe investment.

• Financial: either I have to adapt the path of the commercialization to my own funds or I get external investors.
• Technical: I consider hiring a product design expert consultant person or to outsource the task to an external company.
• Legal: I need to incorporate a law expert in the team, or to find an external law services for national and international trade.
• Cultural: providing easy information to the population, showing the advantages of the system, and the possibilities. Mainly through internet videos.
• Market wise: launch a product promotion at all levels, focusing on the areas that will reach directly the target population, being it social media, and direct contact with existing associations.

So far I have developed everything only by myself. A few number of highly skilled technical people has been participating in the process, providing new perspectives, ideas, and some technical solutions; from Aeronautical Engineers to local carpenters.

Javier Vila Ferrero Architecture Bureau website

Senior Architect, Building Engineer, Urban Planning Consultant.

More than 17 years of experience in the design and management of architecture projects and construction works. Specialized in public and private investments in the fields of housing, urbanism and infrastructures.

I have worked as Freelance Architect leading my own Architecture Bureau, and as Civil Servant, designing projects for public housings or Directing the Urban Office of a municipality. I have worked in international environments, like the European Parliament or in Humanitarian operations.

I know every aspect of the architecture design and the construction process, from the perspective of the customers, the designers, the builders or the public administration that issue the permits.

Not being enough, I grew up surrounded by construction and carpenter tools, gaining the ability to build things by myself.

During all my years of profession I've made very valuable contacts with highly skilled professionals that might become part of the Sudöko team in further steps.

Market availability estimation:

• By 2029, 1% of the World prefabricated housing demand: 450.000 units

Target population:

• Sustainable concerned population
• "Nomad" population that changes often their residence place
• Middle and low income households
• Refugees and internal displaced populations in need of a temporary housing solution
• Companies in need of temporary premises

Business data per unit:

• Manufacturing cost: 10.000$
• General expenses: 1.000$
• Unforeseen expenses provision: 1.000$
• Taxes over the customer: 2000$
• Retail price: 15.000$
• Benefit before taxes: 1.000$
• Benefit after taxes: 700$
• % benefit: 7%
• Dedicated to non profit housing programs: 100$

Regular business planning:

• 2019: Company ready to operate in EU and US. 25.000-30.000$ (own funds available)
• 2020: Construct and sell 10 units
  • Cost: 100.000$
  • Benefit: 7.000$
  • Donation: 1000$
• 2021-2026: Construct and sell 100 units
  • Cost: 1.000.000$
  • Benefit: 70.000$
  • Donation: 10.000$
• From 2026: 1.000 houses, increasing 100% of production each year.
  • Cost: 10.000.000$
  • Benefit: 700.000$
  • Donation: 100.000$
• 2027: 2.000 units
• 2028: 4.000 units
• 2029: 8.000 units

Business planning by getting grants

• 2021-2026 could be implemented during 2021

Business planning by getting funds

• 2021-2026 could be implemented during 2021. % of benefit would be reduced accordingly to the funds received.

Expected planning if boosted by grants or investment funds

• 2021: 1.000 units
• 2022: 2.000 units
• 2023: 4.000 units
• 2024: 8.000 units
• 2025: 16.000 units
• 2026: 32.000 units
• 2027: 64.000 units
• 2028: 128.000 units
• 2029: 256.000 units
• 2030: 512.000 units

By the combination of the following actions:

• Selling products: the main activity of SUDÖKO HOUSE will be sell pieces of the system. With the support of grants or investment funds the implementation will be faster, without it the project will be in any case financially sustainable but under a slower implementation.
• Grants: applying for grants related to sustainability, climate change, affordable housing, emergency or temporary housing. Grants are considered helpful and boosters for a quicker impact but the plan is not to be dependent on grants under any circumstances.
• Raising investment capital: the same as grants they will be considered as a booster of the implementation but the plan is not to be dependent on external financial needs, only if the conditions are good and safe enough for the project.

I created the SUDÖKO HOUSE to provide an affordable housing solution for everyone, and specially thinking of those with less economic capacities. In parallel, I wanted to change completely the way we build houses, providing a full sustainable building technology. In order to achieve both goals I ask for  the support of the most advanced technological hub in the World. 

The idea was never presented to other hubs or institutions as I consider that, only by the hand of the MIT, the SUDÖKO system will reach its full potential.

The first prototype has been very successful, even over my expectations, but now I need to continue the technological research of the project, on the one hand, and to launch an economical sustainable business model, on the other hand. For both tasks I rely on the SOLVE network and mentoring to achieve these goals. Concretely, to overcome the barriers:

• Financial: any grant is always highly welcomed. The 10.000$ would be used to construct the first Pilot house. On the other hand, looking for partners that might be interested in investing.
• Technical: could the MIT provide, suggest or support with research programs, funds, premisses or potential partners?
• Legal: looking for advice regarding EU and US market for international trade
• Cultural: looking for a deeper insight of the housing market in US
• Market wise: looking for promotion support at all levels, media, contacts, mentoring…

• Technically: MIT partnership as research institution, partnering in a research program, or providing any type of support, mentoring, premisses or study funds.
• Financially: grant providers and business investors.
• Manufacturing: with wood construction companies in the US.
• As social enterprise: USAID, UNHCR, Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, UNHABITAT, for projects related to emergency or temporal housing programs.

GM grant would be fully dedicated to construct 5 of the first set of the 10 pioneer testing projects (located in Spain, Belgium, Germany and United States).

The grant would highly accelerate the impact of the project, having enough funds to construct 5 houses, without waiting for the customer to purchase them before they are constructed. As a new product the purchasing decision would be faster and easier to take, by the potential customers, if the item is already manufactured and they can directly get it and transport it to their premises. 

By using own funds, the company would be launched immediately to operate in EU, and after few months it might be ready to operate in US. It might happen that US market and regulation will force to create a US company.