P O C K E T C H A N G E C O M M U N I T Y W I N N E R o f a 2 0 1 6 A I A D E S I G N A W A R D
Pocket Change Community is a model living collective where every aspect is shaped by principles of conservation and its environmental
context. Affordable and sustainable small homes and a gathering center have been designed to foster a deep sense of connection amongst the residents to support local farming located adjacent to the pocket. The core development team consists of builders, architects, and a landscape architect with extensive experience in environmentally sensitive design, including LEED platinum-rated and Passive House projects. Together they have created a model for a new type of community that responds to a growing desire from people of all age groups to live with a closer relationship to their neighbors and to the land.
The development team is in the process of seeding three Pocket Change prototype communities: one in Egremont, MA, the others in Asheville, NC and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. These three communities will share a common “ethos”, design and lifestyle aesthetic reflecting our core principles and serving as a model for what can be developed and modified in other areas of the world. Each Pocket Change Community can be built on as little as 7-10 acres, ideally adjacent to existing small farms.
Key to all sites is to minimize development impact on nature. Efforts to incorporate state-of-the-art solar, wind and geothermal energy applications will be integral to the built environment, taking maximum advantage of the natural beauty and characteristics of each site. Innovative building materials will be explored, such as hempcrete, a sustainable, non-toxic and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional materials.
Each prototype pocket neighborhood will have approximately 20 homes, grouped in cozy clusters of three or four dwellings. They will be situated in close proximity to the gathering center, garden area and common grounds.
Our basic model proposes 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom green homes of approximately 1000 square feet, designed to be easily adaptable to change and growth. The Common Grounds and Community Barn help create a more plentiful, spacious and open feeling for the 20 homeowners, who can use it as part of their living space. The Community Barn, which has a footprint of 2,000 square feet, has aflexible, nuanced design in order to efficiently include multiple uses, including community kitchen, fireside seating area, exercise and meditation studios, game area, reading nooks, and performance and artists space. Also included will be living quarters for an onsite manager, caregivers, and guests.
The Common Grounds will be designed using permaculture and edible landscaping. In addition, we will offer opportunities for community savings such as solar recharging stations, shared vehicles, and co-owned tools and maintenance space. Our development team’s goal it to build in ways that transform, inspire, and connect people within a sense of community that goes far beyond mere shared geography. We believe that the pocket neighborhood building process answers a deep and abiding need for closeness and engagement in community, and look forward to bringing this to life.
Pocket Change Community is a model living collective where every aspect is shaped by principles of conservation and its environmental
context. Affordable and sustainable small homes and a gathering center have been designed to foster a deep sense of connection amongst the residents to support local farming located adjacent to the pocket. The core development team consists of builders, architects, and a landscape architect with extensive experience in environmentally sensitive design, including LEED platinum-rated and Passive House projects. Together they have created a model for a new type of community that responds to a growing desire from people of all age groups to live with a closer relationship to their neighbors and to the land.
The development team is in the process of seeding three Pocket Change prototype communities: one in Egremont, MA, the others in Asheville, NC and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. These three communities will share a common “ethos”, design and lifestyle aesthetic reflecting our core principles and serving as a model for what can be developed and modified in other areas of the world. Each Pocket Change Community can be built on as little as 7-10 acres, ideally adjacent to existing small farms.
Key to all sites is to minimize development impact on nature. Efforts to incorporate state-of-the-art solar, wind and geothermal energy applications will be integral to the built environment, taking maximum advantage of the natural beauty and characteristics of each site. Innovative building materials will be explored, such as hempcrete, a sustainable, non-toxic and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional materials.
Each prototype pocket neighborhood will have approximately 20 homes, grouped in cozy clusters of three or four dwellings. They will be situated in close proximity to the gathering center, garden area and common grounds.
Our basic model proposes 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom green homes of approximately 1000 square feet, designed to be easily adaptable to change and growth. The Common Grounds and Community Barn help create a more plentiful, spacious and open feeling for the 20 homeowners, who can use it as part of their living space. The Community Barn, which has a footprint of 2,000 square feet, has aflexible, nuanced design in order to efficiently include multiple uses, including community kitchen, fireside seating area, exercise and meditation studios, game area, reading nooks, and performance and artists space. Also included will be living quarters for an onsite manager, caregivers, and guests.
The Common Grounds will be designed using permaculture and edible landscaping. In addition, we will offer opportunities for community savings such as solar recharging stations, shared vehicles, and co-owned tools and maintenance space. Our development team’s goal it to build in ways that transform, inspire, and connect people within a sense of community that goes far beyond mere shared geography. We believe that the pocket neighborhood building process answers a deep and abiding need for closeness and engagement in community, and look forward to bringing this to life.