Picture yourself standing in your new, energy independent home.  All of your electrical needs are met through an array of photovoltaic panels on the roof.  Heat is provided by passive solar energy.  Cooling is done by natural air circulation.  Materials are non-toxic and ecologically harvested. Water is used frugally, and waste water is treated on site and used to irrigate the landscaping.

These are just a part of an aggressive community design agenda– a new initiative which we are beginning here in Prescott.  The goal is to create a high-performance cohousing community, which would dramatically reduce or eliminate the use of fossil fuels by designing the entire community as a tool to efficiently harvest the energy of the sun, wind, rain, and even the people who inhabit it.

In my last message for the Sketch_Pad, I promised to give you a report of my trip to Washington DC on the annual American Institute of Architects (AIA) Grassroots convention.  Suffice it to say that I was inspired enough to realize that the time is ripe for a renewed effort towards energy independence.  Whereas, in years gone by, our words, actions and deeds regarding energy efficient design and construction fell on deaf ears, it appears that people are finally starting to listen.  And, they are starting to ask for real, substantial alternatives. The marketplace is responding with a myriad of products that profess to be “green”, and it is now up to us to create the future.

Our agenda is to assemble a group of people who share a common vision to bring forth a new paradigm for living gently on the earth.  We propose to start a new cohousing community, to be known as “The Village Green”. This is not a project for the faint hearted or the easily discouraged.  It is not a project for those looking for a “quick fix” nor is it a project for wild-eyed idealists.  Rather, it will take a few, dedicated, hardworking individuals who have a burning desire to see this kind of vision become a reality.  If this sounds like an idea that you can enroll in, join our growing list of interested people by sending us an email at info@catalystarchitecture.com.

Picture yourself three years from now with a hard hat on your head, a shovel in your hand, and an inspiration in your heart, as you join us to break ground for this ground-breaking community.