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| Jeffrey L.
Zucker,
LEED-AP AIA |
| Matthew B.
Ackerman, LEED-AP AIA |
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The
Vision Thing
On
March 28th, the Manzanita Village Cohousing Community in Prescott,
Arizona will celebrate its 15th anniversary. Back in 1994, when
Paul Moore and I were calling the first, exploratory meeting for the
community, the country had just voted George Bush out of office (the
elder George Bush, that is). During his final throes as the
President, Mr. Bush made some disparaging remarks about "the vision
thing". as if having a vision for the country was a laughable thing, or
somehow unnecessary. Meanwhile, Bill Clinton was ringing in the
new administration with the song by Fleetwood Mac, which includes the
lines: Don't stop thinking about tomorrow".
Swept up by this sea
of change of optimism and hope, the Prescott
Cohousing group was formed. At the time, I was partners with my
friend and colleague from the Arcosanti days, Tom Reilly. When I
decided to go off on my own in 1995, Tom asked me whether I had any
clients. "Of course", I answered, "I have the cohousing group".
His expression soured, and he said, "No, I mean, any real
Clients". Well, of course, in my mind the cohousing group was a
"real" client.
 The point is that I
had set out a vision and I had started an intention
to have that vision become a reality. Fifteen years later, I can
look back and see the bricks and mortar, and, more importantly, the
struggles and smiles that have accompanied the process.
Manzanita
Village is a community that makes its major decisions through the
consensus process. It has not always been easy. It has
never been quick. But, it has proven to be worthwhile. In a
democracy, as many as 49% of the voters can be disenfranchised.
In a democracy, you get George Bush or a Bill Clinton. Which ever
one of those candidates you liked, you probably didn't like the other
one. In a consensus, the community discusses the pros and cons of
the decision to be made, keeping in mind that the outcome is to be for
the benefit of the whole community. In the end, the individuals
are asked not whether they agree or disagree with the choice, but
whether they consent to the choice. This Process
encourages the community to work together in an atmosphere of
cooperation, as opposed to dividing the community into two opposing
camps.
 We
are faced with a paradoxical
situation in these
times. On the one
hand, the country seems to be
sinking into a depression. As opposed to the "Great Depression",
this one is shaping up to be a "Rather Crappy Depression". On the
other hand, we have a president who has, once again dusted off "the
vision thing" from George Bush (the younger, that is) with the
"Audacity
of Hope". President Obama has appealed to his fellow citizens to
"endure, find opportunity in these hard times, and ultimately prosper
from the challenge".
Cast your vision for the future ahead of you. Speak your
intention. Work together as a people for the good of the
country. Stay true to your ideals. These are the ways that
we will weather the storm. And, fifteen years from now, we will
look back at the struggle. And we will smile.
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| Green Builder's Tip of
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Masterful Mistakes: It Happens to The Greenest of Us
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Deb's Green Activist's Corner:
EASY Steps YOU
CanTake
To Help...!
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Be A Smarter
Produce Picker: Download The Dirty
Dozen Shopper's Guide
Now
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Choose Sustainable
Seafood: Download Your Seafood Watch
Pocket Guide
Today
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 Questions?
Email Deb. |
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CATALYST
ARCHITECTURE
is an award winning, full-service sustainable design
firm located in Prescott, Arizona. We specialize in educational,
commercial, master planning and custom residential work, with an
emphasis on high- performance design, and caring client relationships.
At CATALYST, our
mission is to creatively transform the space and budget needs of our
clients, with the opportunities and ecology of the site, into
functional and sustainable solutions that move the spirit.
Comments
or feedback? Email us.
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