The first self-contained accommodation nearing completion

Energy crisis, drought, pollution, carbon footprint, restrictions on the artificialization of soils… The solution to all these problems, for Alain Legout, lies in a product which presents as “unreleased” : the totally autonomous Biomespace accommodation, developed by the company of the same name and of which it is the legal representative in France.

Equipped with photovoltaic solar panels on the roofs and walls, wind turbines and lithium batteries to store electricity, these 20 or 40m2 homes (two models are currently under development) are also, unprecedentedly, self-contained in water. An innovation based on NASA technologies in this area and under study for 3 years at the University of Porto. “Today no company offers total autonomy, nobody knows how to do it”, explains the entrepreneur. The system works thanks to the collection of rainwater but also thanks to the recovery of humidity in the air and waste water and a filtration and treatment system which allows to feed two distinct water circuits, the potable and the non-potable ones.

“Zero impact on the environment”

“It does not require an electrical, sewage or septic tank connection, this housing is placed on stilts, without the need for building permits. It can be dismantled, transported and installed in non-buildable areas”explains Alain Legout, who continues: “It’s the solution to housing problems, with zero impact on the environment”. For the future, envisage the use of Biomespace accommodation for student or senior residences, social housing, garden extensions, professional premises or second homes.

A tourist residence on the Causse Comtal

It was time for the final refinements of the prototypes, the first of which was installed near the Hôtel du Causse Comtal. And the owner does not intend to stop there, since he intends to set up around forty behind the establishment in the form of a tourist residence. The production line is set up in Portugal and should eventually go out “one mod a day”says Alain Legout.

Marketing could begin at the end of 2024. At prices that are not yet fully consolidated. “I can’t announce the prices at the moment. What we do know is that at the moment we are more expensive than conventional accommodation”, He explains. Aveyron has been chosen as the French showcase for Biomespace; a presentation to elected officials and local partners will take place in early June in the department before an official launch at the upcoming Batimat fair, the annual mass for construction.