- Sep 28, 2023

Don't Just Hug Trees, Weather Storms

Advocating for the diversification of buildings, biomes, and businesses to establish sustainable legacies.

✔ Who I am and my guiding design principles

✔ What resiliency is and why it matters

✔ The 3 pillars of property diversity

✔ My POV as a property manager of a 10-acre off-grid homestead

Welcome to the first edition of Building Resilience!

I spent most of my 20s managing a 10-acre off-grid property on the east side of Maui. It was the homestead dream. There was an abundance of orchards, water, gardens, animals, rentals, community, mountain views, ocean views… you name it.

I was convinced I would live there for the rest of my life.

So, I put in my all. Even though architectural design was my bread and butter, my heart was on the land.

For nearly 8 years, I organized and formulated how the land would sustain itself harmoniously.

Find local professionals to help you with your project.

I navigated the finances, relationships, and all the systems that allowed the property to be available to others.

I learned about building, permaculture, and community and how critical it is that they work together.

The community was able to thrive off of the core values of sustainability, self-improvement, and community living.

So now, as I write to you, my hope is that I can share with you the beauty and simplicity of sustainable design, whether that be through my design services, my consultation, or my courses.

My dream for you is to have your home be your paradise. A place that is beautiful. A place that invites life. A place with a legacy.

So without further ado, the first ever edition of Building Resilience.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Designing Diversity: Climate-Specific Architectural Design

READ ON

Resiliency 101

From the cookie-cutter homes, the mono-cropped fields, and the strip malls, the diversity & sustainability we see in the natural environment is not being represented in our built environment. People often write off sustainable living as too expensive, too time-consuming, and too confusing. But the truth is, we can have our homes, our food, and a thriving community at our back doors! (Or front door… I don't know how formal your doors are these days…) But wait, I thought resiliency was a trait of a person or a community? How can my home be adaptable? We aren't personifying a building here. Nor am I suggesting it's made of rubber (although maybe it could be). Resiliency is the powerhouse within that keeps going, even when the world outside of us is not. Within ourselves or within our homes the principle still applies. The perfect paradox of being strong, yet flexible

FROM THE 'TUBE

My 3 PILLARS of Property Development:

1. OUR RELATIONSHIPS ✔ Shared Spaces and Resources ✔ Locally Based Community and Business ✔ Accountability and Neighboring Perspectives ✔ Collaborative Ventures 2. YOUR HOME ✔ Locally Sourced and Built ✔ Climate-Specific and Site-Specific Design ✔ Pursuit of Ownership ✔ Unique to Lifestyle and Personal Style 3. NATURE ✔ Diversified Ecosystems ✔ Perennial Food Forests ✔ Reciprocity and Land Stewardship ✔ Resource Management

Every property can benefit from remembering these 3 pillars. In balance, it is a shining example of what a truly sustainable place can look like.

Interested in building a resilient property?

WORK WITH ME

In a world full of vast terms like, eco, green, sustainable, energy efficient, carbon footprint, etc many of us are still feeling overwhelmed and out of control with the climate crisis.

“Going green” doesn’t matter if we aren't:

✔ Using local and natural materials

✔ Creating backup systems when our mechanical systems break down

✔ Employing and housing the local community

Resiliency is the solution and it’s simple. It is being creative and using what is already around us. It is designing something that will stand the test of time.

Recognize that resiliency also has a reciprocal nature. The fundamental principle of exchange with a mutual benefit reminds us we simply can not go it alone.

When asking for something, can we in turn, offer something?

THE BOOK LIST

A Pattern Language I love this book because it offers 253 design patterns for creating human-centered environments, providing invaluable insights into architecture, urban planning, and community development, all while promoting harmony, functionality, and a strong sense of community.

ADD IT TO MYSELF

DON'T KNOW WHO I AM?

Let me introduce myself!

Christina here, Former Property Manager and long-time Architectural Designer and Entrepreneur…

LEARN MORE ABOUT ME

Are you looking to buy or sell an Eco Home?

Connect with a Realty Sage Pro, on the Zillow for sustainability…

CONNECT ME WITH A PRO

Your home is not just a building. It's a system connected to its other greater parts. Especially the land and the people.

We can plant trees, we can design backup systems, can replenish aquifers, we can form good relations, and we can learn how to use the earth around us.

Resilience is a tribute to the awe-inspiring natural forces that surpass our understanding.

Welcome to the world of resiliency!