Background and Vision 

TERA was built from the same autonomous 3D printing technologies and compostable materials we designed for longterm, sustainable life on Mars. Like its predecessor (the NASA-award-winning Martianhabitat MARSHA), TERA is built from a 3D printed biopolymer basalt composite –a material developed from crops like corn and sugar cane – tested and validated by NASA to be (at minimum) 50% stronger and more durable than concrete.

This material has the potential to be leaps and bounds more sustainable than traditional concrete and steel, leading to a future in which we can eliminate the building industry’s massive waste of unrecyclable materials. It could transform the way we build on Earth – and save our planet.

Modern construction has consumed vast amounts of energy and resources due to its dependence on single-use, carbon intensive materials such as cement. But if a TERA is demolished, its exterior shell can be fully recycled and reprinted several times. Ultimately, at the end of the usable life span of our material, TERA can be composted and returned to earth, making way for future generations of sustainable buildings.