This new building venture is exciting yet scary at the same time. 3ddd isn’t making any money right now, which is strange to me. I’m not letting it get me down, though. The bigger picture keeps me going: becoming a true design/build company.

I’ve been kicking around the idea of getting a general contractor license, so I’m in control of all things building. This would mean I order materials, round up subcontractors, and oversee the entire project. According to ChatGPT, becoming a GC means I could potentially make great money. 

I just read that a person needs 4 years of construction experience to qualify to take the test. That is a bummer, but I understand. I do have the opportunity to work under a few GC’s for the experience. 

The Black project in Tempe is at the engineering stage. As this is my first design-build project, I’m learning how the process works so that I can submit plans to the City of Tempe for a permit using this new build system. Before that can happen with the Casita, I see myself submitting the garage-to-apartment plans first.

Everything takes steps to complete so while I’m waiting for engineering to finish with the casita, I can work on other parts of the project. I figure the city will consider the garage to living conversation would be a separate permit anyway. 

I just can’t wait to start building with foam, steel and concrete. Any construction project starts with a concrete foundation and slab. This system has rebar sticking up at 36” o.c. An anchor foam wall about 24” tall is glued to the slab with 3” dia holes drilled in the foam 36” to receive concrete around the rebar. The top of this anchor wall is then channeled to accept more concrete as a bond beam. 

You can see how this system has strong steel and concrete bones with a foam core. I will soon explain the special coating. The GR special sauce is what ties everything together, it’s comprised of cement, fine sand or silica, water, acrylic or Elastomeric polymer that acts as a binder. Once all this is mixed, you will have a short time to apply it directly onto the surface of the foam. This mix is applied in two coats, approximately ½” thick total, front and back of all walls. This method is quite labor-intensive because you’re mixing and applying by hand, well, most of it. Mixing all the ingredients is done with a drill and a stir bit. I asked one day why a machine couldn’t spray it on? They said that the mix is too sticky and clogs spray guns. 

If you think of how many pieces a typical wood wall has and just how many different subcontractors you need to construct it properly. The GR build method is much simpler to construct with superior insulation values built in.