About Thios + Co.

Building an industry of open source shelter. We are democratizing access to high-quality, sustainable, and modular spaces.

Peter Bartsch, Founder of Thios

The Story Behind Thios

Peter Bartsch — Founder & Product Designer

From building skateboard ramps as a teenager to designing products for John Deere and scaling FourKites from $3M to $100M ARR — 15+ years of product design shaped a simple belief: everyone deserves well-designed spaces. Thios started with a question: what if building a backyard sauna or office was as straightforward as assembling furniture? Open-source plans, modular hex panels, and a 3D configurator later — here we are. No gatekeepers, no markups, just good design for everyone.

Our Mission

Democratize Access to Space. We are making well-designed, modular shelters accessible to everyone. Calculated open source hardware you can build with local resources—dimensional lumber from the hardware store, common tools, zero waste.

✓ Open Source | ✓ Educational | ✓ Community Owned

It started with wanting fresh food. Then it became something bigger. The modular system I designed for farming a parking spot could become anything—workspace, sauna, gaming room, shelter. That changed everything.

It works best as open source. Everyone contributes and improves the designs. Innovation speeds up. The community becomes the engine.

The real goal: instead of creating another billionaire, we are building a network of small businesses. Open source designs, open standards. Local shops manufacturing Thiosphere™ modules. Each business specializing in what they do best—one makes frames, another does panels, another handles assembly. A network of thriving small businesses working together.

NEWSLETTER SIGNUP

Our First Product has Launched!

Get the Whole Thiosphere™ Handbook - the complete guide to modular open source spaces - starting at $29!

Founder's Edition includes lifetime access to all planned handbooks!

Buy yours today