homes for the domeless - geoship - dec 2019...city repair project has developed a self-help...
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Homes For The DomelessA Home and Belonging Are Basic Human Rights
GEOSHIPRegenerative Architecture
OUR
COMMUNITY PARTNERS:
P O W E R E D b y S E R V I C E™
PRESS KITDECEMBER 14, 2019
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VILLAGE BUILDINGCity Repair Project has developed a self-help village-
building model rooted in participatory democracy,
permaculture, and placemaking. Demonstrated results
over 20 years have shown it to be one of the most cost-
effective models for transcending homelessness in the
nation. The transitional village is a place to unplug from
the high intensity city environment and reconnect with
community and the natural world. It’s a cultural place
of self-stabilizing and self-regulating patterns. A place
where a person can learn more about what it means to be
a participant, engaged in a big picture that includes them.
Positive lasting change comes from within, it cannot be
imposed from the outside. Thus we engage the homeless
communities early in designing and building the village.
Each transitional village includes 40-80 resident
members. Transitional villages may be adjacent to one
another enabling a combination of long-term supportive
housing, short-term supportive housing, and permanent
housing. Each village is self-managed by the members,
with some outside assistance. It’s built outside the city
grid system with community-centric design principles.
The village inspires and uplifts its members while
contributing to broad societal dialogues on urbanity,
democracy, social and ecological sustainability, trauma,
addiction, healing, and homelessness.
Transitional villages compliment the city as a whole,
especially in providing places for homeless people to go
who are left with so few choices. Each person who leaves
the village will be stronger and able to contribute more
to the families and communities they reclaim and build.
REGENERATIVE ARCHITECTUREGeoship home building cooperative is using high
strength zero-carbon ceramics to precast the world’s
most efficient structures. (The American Institute of
Architects calls the geodesic dome “the strongest,
lightest and most efficient means of enclosing space
known to man.”)
Today the construction industry uses four primary
material families; wood, metal, concrete, and plastics.
Now we have a fifth family: Chemically Bonded
Ceramic Composites. Bioceramic building panels are
produced rapidly with high quality and low cost. The
all-ceramic composite homes have a design life of 500
years, integrate with local ecosystems, optimize health,
maximize energy efficiency, and revolutionize housing
affordability.
We construct a ceramic precast plant nearby the
transitional village. As affordable regenerative homes
are sold on the market, transitional homes are donated
to the village. The transitional village can grow fast
BELONGING AND HOUSING FIRSTWe’re launching a profit-for-all cooperative
program to transcend homelessness across
the USA, starting in Nevada. Our strategy
combines regenerative architecture, village
building, and a new work paradigm. We build
transitional villages that embody powerful
urban design principles—to strengthen the
original agreements humans formed in the
villages where we first came together—
cooperation, community, and creativity.
Homelessness, addiction, trauma, inequality,
climate change, chronic disease, and loneliness
are all woven into the fabric of modern society.
Thus, our solution lies in a new and ancient
paradigm. One based upon building strong
healthy relationships with ourselves, our
communities, and the natural world.
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with an ecological action plan and community-based
processes. Transitional residents become engaged in active
participation, learning skills for jobs with evolutionary
purpose in the regenerative economy.
MARKET-BASED DYNAMICSZappos is on a journey to a new work paradigm. One that
fits jobs to humans, rather than fitting humans into jobs.
This approach to management seeks to mimic existing
complex adaptive systems such as cities, biological
organisms, and free market economies. The goal is to build
organizations that become antifragile (inspired by the
work of Nassim Taleb). Antifragile organizations benefit
from shocks; they thrive and grow when exposed to
volatility, randomness, disorder, and stressors. They love
adventure, risk and uncertainty. Resilient organizations
resist shocks and stay the same, antifragile organizations
get better.
Research shows that every time the size of a city doubles
productivity per resident goes up, but the exact opposite
thing happens in organizations. This is one data point
that reinforces what we all know intuitively—top-down
resource allocation and decision making do not scale. The
secret ingredient is communitas. In communitas we are
all peers. This distribution of power creates enormous
motivation and energy.
Transitional villagers list the ‘menu of services’ they can
provide. Jobs and micro-enterprises are created to utilize
the skills and passions of people, and connect them with
market opportunities.
A NEW SOLUTIONProblems and opportunities are two sides of the same
coin. Of course we propose a self-help model to end
homelessness, because all solutions to all problems reside
in participation and engagement in community with each
other. We also propose a true village model and profit-for-
all business model to integrate all functions of daily life
at a local scale, because when numerous challenges are
brought together they can be met together.
FOR MORE INFO– Clark County Nevada Request For Proposals:
https://docsend.com/view/tijj7pk
– Image folder: Hi-Res Images
– Fast Company Article: http://bit.ly/fc-geoship
CONTACTMorgan Bierschenk
Geoship Founder/CEO
Mobile Phone: (360) 202-0464
e-mail: [email protected]
HOUSING FIRST
“We are called to be architects of the future,
not its victims.”~ R. Buckminster Fuller
“A revolution in safe, sustainable,
affordable community architecture.”
“The domes are built from
bioceramic—a sturdy,
recyclable material that
offsets CO2.”
“Are these fireproof,
hurricane-proof geodesic
domes the post-climate
change house of the future?”
“Homes For The
Domeless”
RECENT PRESS:
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F.A.Q.1 - How will the village address addiction and mental health?
Through community-based processes, restorative
practices (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Restorative_practices), and trauma-informed care
(https://traumainformedoregon.org/wp-content/
uploads/2016/01/What-is-Trauma-Informed-Care.pdf).
2 - What is the policy around alcohol and drugs?
What’s the policy around alcohol and drugs in your
neighborhood?
3 - What are the selection criteria for membership?
We view this through a lens of permaculture. The
demographics of the village will change over time, and
different villages will have different demographics. Certain
types are needed to establish the community and plant
roots. They condition the environment for people of other
types and needs to live together and in mutual support.
4 - What is the village management structure?
Autonomy and self-management are core principles.
Outside facilitators will assist the village members in
establishing self-stabilizing and self-regulating patterns.
The physical design of the village is based upon the
principles of place culture—facilitating communication and
cooperation.
5 -How does this program support itself and scale?
This is mass production housing technology. We replace
all traditional building products with bioceramic-hemp
composites, creating whole new supply chains. The
projected profit margins are so high that we can donate a
dome for every 1-3 we sell.
6 - What do you mean by profit-for-all?
We mean Geoship is a multi-stakeholder cooperative.
Ownership is distributed between investors, associates
(employees), customers, and nature. Cities and homeless
communities all profit too.
7 - How long is the typical transitional period?
The villages will serve needs for short-term housing, long-
term housing, and permanent housing.
8 - Do the transitional villagers have to pay to stay?
Different levels of pay will be required for different types
of housing. The pay required for short term housing could
be as little as $9/month. All villagers will be assisted in the
process of discovering their gifts/passions, and applying
them to serve the needs of the market, within and around
the village.
9 - Do the long term and permanent villagers have any
special responsibilities?
Yes. Long term and permanent villagers will have different
responsibilities than short term villagers
10 - How is the initial capital being raised?
The transitional village and ceramic precast plant
is a profitable cooperative venture. The investment
opportunity will be open to purpose-aligned investors
of all types including: technology corporations, local
governments, and social impact investors.
11 - What success metrics have been measured for
transitional villages that have used this model?
Dignity Village Stats after 20 years of operation (data
collected by City Repair Project and the City of Portland):
– Lowest rate of crime/violence in the whole city of
Portland for a multi-block radius for years running.
– Lowest carbon foot print per capita of all permitted
communities.
– Highest voting rate per capita of all zip codes in
Portland.
– Highest rate of community participation per capita in
the city of Portland (and therefore the entire USA).
12 - Will there be job training or opportunities to be paid
for work?
Yes. All villagers will declare the menu of services they’d
like to provide to the community. Services will be matched
to the needs of the market.
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