How to build your own TEALcenter.
Here we list some of the possibilities to create your own TEALcenter/FabLab
To calculate the octagon shape, you can start with a square, of which you remove the corners.
To calculate your ideal shape and surface, visit this site.
Then use your choice of eco-friendly techniques to pour a foundation or use materials such as sea shells or glass granulates.
Choose whether you want to use storage compartments in the floor. Take this into account when you create the foundation.
To calculate your ideal shape and surface, visit this site.
Then use your choice of eco-friendly techniques to pour a foundation or use materials such as sea shells or glass granulates.
Choose whether you want to use storage compartments in the floor. Take this into account when you create the foundation.
Here are some possibilities for making a foundation without or with less cement, using recycled glass instead:
See also this site (in Dutch).
See also this site (in Dutch).
Measure the shape and remove the top soil.
Place pipes, add geotextile, pour in glass granulate: spread rough at first, then compact with drill plate in layers of 30 cm.
Level up the glass granulate and compact again.
healthy and environment friendly
- 100% recycled glass - produced with hydropower - avoid or reduce cement - recycle and reuse affordable: less expensive than cement slab + other advantages - fast and easy to install - no freeze edge necessary - carrying capacity of 70 ton/m² - no extra insulation required as many closed air bubbles form the perfect insulator: 60 cm = passive, 30 cm = low energy - doesn't absorb any water and replaces drainage - requires no extra stabilization |
Place U-formed screw foundations in the ground.
Use U-shaped treated beams or (better!) recycled azobe railroad sleepers that are water resistant by nature.
For large structures, one can also use strokes of cement in combination with the glass granulate.
Build the TEALcenter on top of the azobe train sleepers or cement strips. Add anhydrietchape, kalkchape, trasscementchape or work with natuurgipsvezelplaten. Glass granulate suppliers: SEI and La Maison Ecologique import Technopor for Belgium. Glasschuim distributes Technopor in the Netherlands. There's also Misapor, distributed in Belgium by Foamglas, and available from Ecobati (and others). |
Here are some possibilities that you can use for storage of chairs, meeting materials, yoga props, batteries etc:
|
|
|
Building the skeleton structure
TEALcenters can be built using a variety of local materials.
Choose a supporting structure to form the skeleton. This can be created using e.g. aircrete blocks (ytong), which can be reused 100%.
Choose a supporting structure to form the skeleton. This can be created using e.g. aircrete blocks (ytong), which can be reused 100%.
The Falcon TEALcenter uses aircrete blocks of 60 x 25 x 36,5 cm to form the 135° corners of the octagon.
The walls are filled with hempcrete using gliding shuttering. When using recuperated windows, the bamboo window frames give a harmonizing effect. 
Another way to build the TEALcenter is using azobe (untreated) railroad sleepers. These hardwood sleepers are still available in countries such as Belgium, which were amongst the first to introduce railroads. By recuperating them in this circular building project, they get an extra life. It is possible to combine them with a screw foundation. Connecting the vertical azobe beams of 2.60m are horizontal railroad switches of 4.80m.
Side view of the octagon skeleton, made with old azobe railroad sleepers.
In the image 16 wooden beams are used. It's also possible to use 32 wooden beams that will form the basis of the roof compartments that will be filled with insulation material such as isofloc. |
It is also possible to make most of the supporting structure in bamboo (Panda version): bamboo poles are positioned in the slab, reinforcing it, and connected to the bamboo beams of the roof structure.
Bamboo ribs are placed between the bamboo beams to form the carrying structure for the roof panels. 
The rest of the foundation is made with glass granulates: small pieces of glass that let the water through and that are made of old windscreens of cars. The wood that is used for the roof are so called I-profiles. They use considerably less wood than full wooden beams and are just as strong.
The wooden beams come together in a connector ring. This can be made from wooden pieces or a light metal. We are also looking into making a ring by glueing pieces of wood together.
|
After installing plumbing, electricity and (optionally) a floor heating system (using an air-water-air heat pump), you can put the inside walls and floors.
The next image shows options such as recycled polycarbonate roof windows and photovoltaic solar panels.
The next image shows options such as recycled polycarbonate roof windows and photovoltaic solar panels.
|
|
|
EPDM can be black (recycled - ideal for colder climates) or white (better suited for very warm climates).
The transparent skylight is also made from recycled polycarbonate or glass.
The transparent skylight is also made from recycled polycarbonate or glass.
Questions or suggestions?
Feel free to contact us by e-mail.
Feel free to contact us by e-mail.
