How It's Different
Imagine a structure that is built entirely from eco-friendly materials and is 100% recyclable. Imagine a structure that is incredibly resistant to wind, earthquakes, and floods. Imagine a structure that can be assembled in less than 3 days, with rudimentary tools and basic instructions/expertise. Imagine a structure that costs 1/3 as much as standard home construction. Imagine a structure that needs no costly foundation, and can be engineered to "float" in floodwaters. Imagine a structure that can provide PERMANENT housing for families affected by major natural disasters. Imagine a structure that can also provide a “green” and inexpensive alternative to standard construction for homeowners seeking to lessen their environmental footprint.
Imagination is now reality - the structure exists, and can be constructed in almost any configuration and design, thanks to the patent-pending device that is at the core of this revolutionary idea
How It Works
The idea behind AVAVA Systems is to create structures in which the shape is defined by the connections where the walls and floors meet. This nearly rigid connection locks the wall to the floor and creates a strong path for gravity, wind, seismic, and other loads to travel. In this way loads that would typically be concentrated in beams, posts, shear walls, and steel frames are instead distributed uniformly throughout the structure. In addition to the locking devices in the corners, plywood or other "skin" that is applied to the inside and outside surfaces of the entire structure increase the strength of the structure by further locking the framing members together. Continuous steel rods at each wall to floor intersection are the final element holding the structure together in such a manner as to make it self-supporting from side to side and corner to corner.
Think of the way our ribcages protect our vital organs by spreading loads out over a large surface using a combination of small and light bones joined together with muscles and cartilage. Using commonly available wood products such as I-joists that are typically used for floor and roof members in modern construction, solid plywood blocks for the corner locks, plywood panels for the skin, and wood screws, these structures can be made cheaply, easily, and in harmony with nature.
