As the year winds to a close, I reflect on yet another productive year for Earth Harmony Habitats and its drive toward creating homes that are healthy and comfortable for the residents and the planet! Homes that are resilient, that harvest their own energy via solar panels, collect all their water through rainwater harvesting, have zero waste through nutrient recycling and grow all their own vegetables through vertical and raised bed gardens.
My thanks go out to the volunteers, advocates and the myriad other invaluable contributors who have taken strides toward manifesting Earth Harmony Habitats during 2015.
Highlights of 2015
January
- Mastermind
The year started out with an online gathering of sustainably minded entrepreneurs for a weekly discussion of our current challenges and strategies to manifest our business ideas. Much value, direction and motivation was gained from these meetings. - Greener Good Interview
Earth Harmony Habitats was featured on Greener Good cable TV. Host Dori Lyon interviewed me on the merits and methods behind Earth Harmony Habitats. Greener Good is a cable network with a monthly episode of interviewing ideas that create a greener, more sustainable life. Full interview can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEzpZgPSJB4
February
- Collaboration
Diane Rheos volunteered to lead an effort to develop community and create a blog for Earth Harmony Habitats. - Emerge
This month I joined a gathering of high performance builders and policy developers for a weekend retreat in Whidbey Island, WA to for restorative connection & co-mentoring to accelerate life-sustaining solutions in the built environment through emergent leadership principles.
March
- Better Living Show 2015
Earth Harmony Habitats was at Portland’s Better Living Show once again this year. Better Living is a trade show featuring ecologically minded home and lifestyles. This was an excellent opportunity to share the concepts with over 10,000 attendees. I brought one of the Vertical Gardens with me to test market the concept. - Article in Better Living Guide
Jules Rogers of the Pamplin Media Group interviewed and published a three page article on Earth Harmony Habitats for the Better Living show guide. http://publications.pmgnews.com/fpubs/better-living-show-2015/#p=8 - Advertisement in Take Root
Take Root Willamette Valley is a local food and farm magazine serving Willamette Valley Oregon residents. The publishers enjoyed the idea of Earth Harmony Habitats so much that they ran a half page ad for it in the in their Spring issue of their magazine! See page 11 of this link http://[email protected]/HTML5/Duhn-Associates-TAKE-ROOT-Magazine-Spring-2015
April
- Earth Day Booth
With my new banner, introduced Earth Harmony Habitats to the celebrants of Portland’s Earth Day - Collaborative interest
Two people recently contacted me with interest in developing their acreage of land to be in harmony with earth’s carrying capacity. One in Vancouver, Washington, the other near OHSU in Portland. - Earth Harmony Vertical Garden
21 Acres, which is operating one of the two prototype gardens, held a large eco-tour this month, sharing much information on the vertical Garden
May
- Octagonal Visitors Center
Outside of Salt Lake City is an Octagonal Visitor’s office offering travelers information on local folk lore and native Navaho design.
June
- Living Building Challenge Affordable Housing Project
Submitted an application into Living Futures International to become a pilot program for affordable housing. A strong contender for affordability, net zero impact homes have zero operating costs and are located on a land trust, thus a land purchase is not required. - Advisory Meeting
Met with Advisory Board Member Tazo Schafer for consultation on effective forward movement. Suggested developing a key advisory panel and to contact The Oregon Garden as a potential site for Earth Harmony Habitats and its vertical garden.
July
- The Oregon Garden
Met with Ty Boland, Regional Horticulture Manager/ Botanical Curator, to discuss possibility of bringing in one of Earth Harmony Habitats’ prototype vertical garden. Things look promising
August
- Developing Cohousing
McCamant & Durrett Architects gave a fascinating and insightful workshop to teach the steps on developing cohousing.
September
- Vertical Garden to be featured at Oregon Garden!
Ty Boland picked up the 2nd vertical garden for presentation at The Oregon Garden. The Oregon Garden receives 100,000 visitors a year and is a great opportunity to introduce vertical gardening as well Earth Harmony Habitats.
October
- New Video
Rich Wingerter of Green Making began work on creating a 5 minute video on the salient aspects of earth Harmony Habitats. You can see the results of this compact presentation at https://youtu.be/8_kdlWUYQWI
November
- Build Small, Live Large Summit
A year in development, Build Small, Live Large summit was offered to a sold out crowd of small home enthusiasts. I assembled a stellar team composed of Stephen Aiguier, founder of Green Hammer, Pat Lando of Lando and Associates Landscape Architecture, and Brad Hippert, Home Loan Advisor of Atlas Equity to share insights on the benefits and challenges to fund and build net zero water and energy homes. Standing room only of over 100 folks attended this presentation. - Booth at Build Small, Live Large Summit
Earth Harmony Habitats also held a booth at this summit to a large and enthusiastic crowd.
December
- New Advisory Member
Amanda Schueler, a local realtor who’s passionate about affordable, sustainable housing, has joined the team of advisors, effectively doubling the resources to manifest Earth Harmony Habitats.
Thank you for your interest and significant contributions to this journey towards creating homes that flourish within an equitable share of earth’s carrying capacity.
Joyous Greenings,
David
You can never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete. —
R. Buckminster Fuller