Pangea BiotectureRegions · CaliforniaPermits · Retrofit · CommunitySheet L-150

Off-grid buildings, permitted in California.

Biotecture and any other off-grid, sustainable building can be permitted and built in California. It must meet the state’s building, health and environmental codes; we draw it to them, get the permit and build it.

Schematic P-1: one gallon of water, used four times Rain and snowmelt run off the roof into a cistern, are filtered to drinking quality and used at the kitchen and bath. The greywater drains through a planted indoor treatment cell that grows food, is reused to flush the toilet, and the blackwater goes to a contained outdoor treatment cell that waters landscape plants. 01Roofrain + snowmelt 02Cisternstored in the berm 03Filterdrinking quality 04Kitchen + bathsinks, shower 05Greywater cellplanted, grows food 06Toiletflushed with greywater 07Blackwater cellcontained, outdoors 08Landscapetrees + shrubs USES PER GALLON 1 · DRINK, COOK, WASH 2 · WATER FOOD PLANTS 3 · FLUSH TOILET 4 · WATER LANDSCAPE
Schematic P-1. Clean, grey and black water each run on their own loop. The indoor planter cleans greywater while growing food; nothing leaves the site untreated.
DrawingsConstruction + permit sets
PermitsWe acquire them
ConstructionFull turnkey
ProjectsResidential to non-profit
01In California

Where to start.

  1. 01

    New Biotecture

    Passive solar, thermal mass, and a building that makes its own power and water.

    B-100
  2. 02

    A studio or ADU

    An off-grid second dwelling on land you already own.

    A-310
  3. 03

    Retrofit

    Catch water, off-grid power, wastewater treatment and heating and cooling added to an existing building, up to fully off-grid.

    R-500
  4. 04

    Floor plans

    Starting points for an off-grid home.

    A-120
02Legal

Off-grid is legal. The building needs a permit.

At its simplest, off-grid means disconnected from the public power grid. Producing your own power, growing your own food, building a greenhouse: all legal.

What the county checks is the building. Design and construction are separate contracts with one firm, so the set we draw for the permit is the set we build from.

Drawings + permits Construction

03Contact

Tell us about your California site.

Call575-218-5583Emailinfo@pangeabuild.comMailPO Box 495, Taos, NM 87571
Contact Pangea Biotecture

04Reading

From the knowledge base.

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