About the Foundation

A non-profit organisation developing and disseminating open-source construction systems that make permanent, beautiful, affordable, and off-grid family housing accessible to anyone.

Contents

Mission

The Hestia Foundation exists to solve the housing affordability crisis through open-source construction knowledge. We do not sell houses. We do not sell building kits. We disseminate the knowledge to build them.

Our primary output is not a product — it is a validated, published, replicable protocol that any family, community, or government can use to produce permanent, insulated, off-grid family homes at 8–10 times below conventional construction cost.

The mission is knowledge transfer, not profit. The Foundation's success is measured not in units sold but in protocols published, houses built by others, lives improved, and carbon avoided.

Values

1. Open Source by Default

Every protocol, every measurement, every cost, every failure — published freely. The Foundation does not hold intellectual property. It generates it and gives it away.

2. First Principles

We design from material properties and human needs, not from industry conventions. If the conventional approach is expensive, slow, or exclusionary, we question it.

3. Circular by Design

We use upcycled industrial materials already in circulation. Zero concrete. Zero structural steel. Timber stores carbon. Every house is a carbon bank.

4. Self-Determination

We believe families should own their homes outright, not rent them from banks for thirty years. The right to shelter is not a commercial product.

5. Beauty Is Not a Luxury

Affordable housing should not look like affordable housing. The NEB (New European Bauhaus) framework — sustainability, inclusivity, beauty — is our design mandate.

The Foundation is a Portuguese non-profit (Fundação or Associação Sem Fins Lucrativos). It operates under Portuguese law, registered with the Direção-Geral das Atividades Económicas (DGAE), and qualifies for:

  • Zero corporate tax on charitable activities
  • Reduced VAT (6%) on construction materials for affordable housing
  • EU non-profit eligibility for Horizon Europe, NEB, LIFE, and Portugal 2030 funding

Team

The Foundation is led by a small core team with complementary expertise:

  • Founder / Research Director: Sebastian Brosche — Systems architect, construction researcher, MUD developer. Author of the RCP thesis. Coordinates research, documentation, and open-source publication.
  • Structural Engineer (Partner): [To be engaged] — Independent Portuguese structural engineer to review load calculations, certify structural adequacy under Eurocode 5, and produce engineer-stamped documentation for permit applications.
  • University Partner: [To be engaged] — Portuguese university (UTL / Coimbra / Minho) for formal academic partnership, student research programmes, and independent testing protocols.
  • Grant Professional: [To be engaged] — EU funding specialist with track record in NEB, Horizon Europe, and LIFE programme applications.
  • Build Team: Workshop participants, volunteers, and community self-builders — the people who actually build the houses.

Location

Headquarters: Lagos, Algarve, Portugal

The Algarve provides ideal conditions for prototype development and year-round workshop delivery:

  • 3,000+ hours of sunshine annually — ideal for solar PV and hot water testing
  • Zero snow load, low wind load — simplifies structural calculations
  • Mild winters, dry summers — permits continuous outdoor construction
  • Active builders merchant network (Leroy Merlin, Aki, etc.) with in-store cutting services
  • Affordable land for prototype builds
  • Strong expat community with interest in sustainable/off-grid living

Governance

The Foundation operates with a flat governance structure designed for rapid decision-making and research agility:

  • Research Director — Sets research priorities, approves protocols, manages documentation quality
  • Advisory Board — External experts in structural engineering, affordable housing policy, EU funding, and community organising
  • Open Publication Review — All protocols published for peer and public review before formal submission

Funding Model

The Foundation pursues a diversified funding strategy:

  • EU Programmes (70%): NEB Facility, Horizon Europe, LIFE, Portugal 2030
  • Private Foundations (15%): Housing-focused philanthropies
  • Workshop Revenue (10%): Educational build workshops at cost+modest margin
  • Individual Donations (5%): Crowdfunding and direct contributions

Open Source Commitment

Every output of the Foundation is published under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0). This includes:

  • Build protocols and assembly instructions
  • Structural calculations and engineering submissions
  • Cost data and verified receipts
  • Thermal performance measurements
  • Workshop curricula and teaching materials
  • Software tools (if developed)

Anyone may use, modify, and distribute this material. Attribution is required. Derivative works must share alike.