Biospheres are organically conceived structures, buildings, vessels, arks, mobile living environments, manufactures according to the following data base: (characteristics and principles) ie, SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION STRUCTURES (patent pending)

(1) Integrates the architectural, structural functions with the utility, (water, gas, electricity, and sanitary) utility infrastructural functions.

(2) Utilizes solar, gravity geothermal and other universal scientific principles and energies to “power” the systems (photovoltaics, solar, water heaters, evaporative condenser purifiers, biodigestors, solar chimneys, evaporative cooling tubes and others.)

(3) Eliminates destructive friction and combustion resulting in maintenance and expenses.

(4) Produces “0” zero pollution, taking nothing from the earth, air, water, putting “0” nothing back into the earth, air, water.

(5) Utilizes the geometry of organic spiraling dodecahedral stacking crystalline structures to form super strength elements within the core of the building modules.

(6) Utilizes the indigenous cementous materials and recycled plastics to produce inexpensive, lightweight enough to float, fireproof, molded structural modules and tanks which resist mold, mildew, fungus, virus, bacterial growth.

(7) Utilizes compartmentalized flotation tanks in its “floating foundation platform, which is structurally integrated within the hidden superstructure above, enabling the structure to resist seismic horizontal earthquake shear forces, hurricane wind forces, floods, tidal surges, and tornadoes, while retaining its ability to provide utilities and keep water out. Designed for 250 MPH winds.

(8) Utilizes its organic wastes to produce organic fertilizer and methane gas.

(9) Maintains comfortable interior temperatures year round, in any climate by utilizing the gravity geo-thermal convection double air envelope eliminating friction/combustion mechanical systems for heating cooling, space conditioning, temperature, ventilation and humidity control.

(10) Controls winter and summer rain and breezes to maintain interior comfort.

(11) Utilizes an “interior garden (greenhouse space)” to grow foliage and flowers, which negatively ionizes the air, removes all particle pollutants, odors, toxic off-gassing” and to increase the oxygen content, introduce floral fragrances, eliminating the “sick building syndrome”.

(12) Utilizes low voltage direct electric current moving through “electrically activated (doped) portions of the structural wall elements, eliminating electrical wiring and the associated fire potential and shock hazard.

(13) Utilizes rain water and the latest radionics water treatment technologies and mineral-salts to produce a nutritionally superior, fresh, natural spring quality domestic water supply.

(14) Utilizes the gray water from the lavatories, showers, laundry and parking lot runoff to fertilize and water the landscape.

(15) Links the fertilizer resource being generated with ancillary hydroponic aqua culture and airponics horticultural facilities to provide fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, shrimp, and flowers for local markets.

EKOTECTURE offers superior returns on invested capital due to decreased life-cycle costs 1) minimum exposure to losses from natural disasters, acts of war, sabotage

2) the requirement to supply the system with natural resources (fossil fuel, hydro or nuclear)

3) the requirement to maintain real estate rights of way and distribution infrastructure pipes lines

4) lack of maintenance caused by heat producing friction, combustion, and nuclear power technology.

SOURCE: EKOTECTURE 1995

January 3, 1940 – November 22, 2005
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Environmental architect, Lee Porter Butler, was heralded for his invention of “the gravity geothermal envelope”, a way to heat and cool houses without using fossil fuels based on natural geothermal convection with no moving parts.

“The envelope” was featured on the covers of Popular Science, Better Homes and Gardens and Shelter magazines globally in the early 1970’s, while his company Ekose’a Homes built and sold plans of these homes.

Butler taught at University of California Berkeley in The Graduate School of Design and Planning. The United States Department of Energy and Lausanne Labs monitored Ekose’a Homes and discovered them to offer superior comfort.

Lee Porter Butler devoted the remainder of his life to solving the crisis facing our planet and humanity of dwindling resources, rising sea levels, and overpopulation that is underserved in food, water and shelter.

Ekotecture, founded by Lee and his wife Jill Karlin, is this solution: a way for humans to live in harmony with one another and Earth.

Co-created by Lee Porter Butler and his wife Jill Karlin Butler in 1992, Ekotecture evolved over a 20-year period and from Lee’s earlier work “Ekosea Homes” and his innovation/invention in construction “The Gravity Geothermal Envelope”.

Lee has inspired a generation of modern architect, designers and environmental activists. His work (Ekose’a Homes) has been case studied by the Brookhaven National Laboratory, USA Department of Energy and Environment and found to be the most energy efficient and CO2 benign homes they ever studied. (Published 1981). Numerous books and academic papers have been written about Lee’s work and his architectural designs.

Throughout the late 1970’s to mid 1980’s Lee and his work was featured in publications such as: Popular Science, News & Observer, Raleigh N.C, New Florida, Earth Magazine, Ohio Magazine and other notable publication

Ekose’a is an ancient Greek word which means, “the essence of being”. To the ancient Greeks, clearly to all ancient people, water, food, and shelter were the essentials, before children can be raised to form families and before families can build society. The essence of our being is our desire to reproduce our own being, thus the need for essentials.

The Ekose’a home provides the family a design which remains snug and warm during the winter and cool during the summer without fire, mechanical systems or expense. It provides reduced fuel consumption, reduced indoor pollution, and improved creature comfort levels over conventional single wall construction.

By surrounding the house with a film of earth heated air, and by using gravity convection to move the air, we eliminate the need for a conventional heating and cooling system. This is Lee’s first great contribution to the human race.

Thousands of these homes have been lived in. Some have been monitored and tested. There is reported comfort, quiet, and low maintenance features of this first version of living on earth without moving parts in heating and cooling.

During 1978-1981 Ekose’a Homes received color press publications whose circulation exceeded 10 million. 65 million pages of press extolling the virtues of the Ekose’a design : lots of natural light, plenty of open space for plants, and tested by Brookhaven National Laboratories and The Department of Energy as the most energy efficient, flexible design of any house ever tested.

During this period as a direct result of media attention Ekose’a sold more than 40,000 books with floor plans exterior perspectives and photos of houses in six distinct climatological zones mapped out in the United States.

Many of the designs can be modified to fit more than one climatological zone. In 1980 when the government change d and Ronald Reagan took away all tax credits for alternative energy and there was a moratorium from the press on covering alternative energy advances in the science about practical energy saving alternatives. The prime interest rate went to 19% and residential construction halted. The cut off of information, the interest, the government assistance to this fledgling new industry stranded.

Realizing that the real challenge was not a rural homestead or suburban American cottage problem, the real challenge was to invent and develop a way for America to export a viable new science , to create an export a viable new science, to create an exportable industry and products that can operate without resources. These scenarios for the underdeveloped world, where there are few resources and few people trained to properly utilize what they have , could get America going again. This time leading the way towards a truly cleaner, healthier, brighter future.

The term EKOTECTURE refers to floating ecologically sound architectural structures integrated into and on board utility and agricultural systems. EKOTECTURE is the logical evolution of the Ekosea Home and Bucky Fuller’s geodesic dome. Spheres are superior to domes in the following ways: Without the little struts and complex angles, molded spheres are cheaper and easier to build and openings can be any shape. In terms of efficiency and simplicity of design an d the simplicity of actually forming or manufacturing. The sphere gives absolute optimal structural strength and there are no extraneous cracks to seal against the leaking of water and wind. He integrity of the spherical structure enables it to withstand and survive great stress, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, tidal waves, and tsunamis.

The Ekotecture floating home, patent pending as “sustainable construction structure”, the EKOSPHERE, not only removes the human habitat from the present material-resource consuming grid. It eliminates the need for buildable land , by allowing development to take place on the rivers, waterways and lakes. EKOTECTURE’s goal is to create a new global economic alliance which connects its advocates and clients to a dynamic interactive company information database and network, explain in regard to this new economy and the proprietary engineering details for manufacturing and monitoring and maintenance contracts that will constitute the new economy.

The new decentralized information age utility provides jobs and consumes human energy and labor but requires few materials , resources (fuel) for its daily operation and maintenance programs from a central location. Actual site visits are determined prior to predicted failures.

Ekotecture integrates many new technologies which have been field tested, refined, and developed for the past THIRTY YEARS (Lee wrote this twenty years ago)and are in operation, world-wide. EKOTECTURE will organize this global cartel of contractors, subcontractors, installers and maintainers, to produce and maintain the new systems world-wide.

We believe that the construction of very large EKOSPHERE biospheres, conceived floating island nations, can lead to the establishment of fresh new private management which must now reinvent politics and provide the consumer a beautiful place in which they can relax and enjoy the kind of life style they desire, protected and secure in their EKOTECTURE floating island healing center resort.

Written by Lee Porter Butler 1996 copyrighted