Hello!

The ball has dropped, the confetti has cleared ... I hope your holidays were filled with wonderful times with family and friends, and looking forward for good things to come in 2012.

I've talked about the importance of connecting with my readers. I believe that community is a necessary component of achieving sustainability, so I especially find it satisfying to make connections and friendships locally... It is through community we realize our connections with each other, with the environment, and with all things living and not living.

One of the friendships I made is from an event with Ojai Valley Green Coalition, and she sent me a holiday card. The card is very simple and beautifully made with the words: All is Merry and Bright. I love the optimism of the message.

These are challenging times for many people, so sometimes a sense of optimism is all that we can hope for. I consider myself fortunate to have the blessings that I have, and I believe it's because of perseverance and courage in doing the things I believe in - like giving back to my community.

This past year has given me much resolve in forging a path towards my mission: to provide a solution for quality housing that is sustainable and affordable. Thanks to the collaborative opportunities with local jurisdictions, we have the ability to influence building officials to develop a community that can be a model for sustainability. Read more below - I welcome your feedback.

For the forthcoming newsletters, I will be sending newsletters less frequently, every 6-8 weeks or so (less email - yay!). This is due to an increased project workload and the development of the Eco-Modular Prototype.

Thanks to all of you who continue to support my endeavors. Wishing you a New Year full of hope, optimism and new successes.

With warm wishes,
Vina

Do you remember Bob Vila from This Old House? When asked what his prediction is for Green Design for 2012, this is what he said:

"I predict home construction will slowly begin to rebound with a focus on downsizing and energy-conserving green standards. In the coming year, look for an increasing trend towards cluster housing and co-housing projects."

Naturally, I think this prediction is fascinating because these are precisely the issues I address with the Eco-Modular Prototype:

I like the concept of co-sharing a lot, and I think this is an up and coming trend. It is part of a movement called collaborative consumption. Read more about it here and listen to Rachel Botsman's video.

In September, I took a visit to a fabrication factory in Germany with a fellow architect, Arne Steffen (shown at center). The factory is owned by Volker Baumgarten (shown left) who produces high-quality prefabricated panelized systems for many residential projects in Germany. The visit is part of my ongoing research to find a construction system that is affordable and ecologically sound, and can perhaps be made available to the US market.

Because my visit was such a long journey from California, a local reporter did a story on it. You can read about it here, but forewarned it's in German.

In collaboration with Stan Tenpenny from Tenpenny Construction, the initial design phase for the Ventura House project is underway. The property sits on a hillside property with stunning ocean views, so the design intent is to capture as much of the views as possible.

The existing house requires extensive renovation, along with site design for a new deck, pool, spa and game room. An additional accessory structure will be built for a garage with office above.

We are having fun with the clients during this design phase coming up with new possibilities. Stay tuned for more ...

The construction of the cottage guesthouse is near completion near downtown Ojai. The exterior plaster is complete and the interior is almost ready with cabinets and flooring. Notice the low profile roof vents, compliments of West Wood Construction. The clients are happy about the progress and looking forward to having it occupied.

If you are a resident of our lovely small town of Ojai, and you appreciate the beautiful nature that surrounds us, please consider giving to OVGC, whose volunteers work diligently to protect the beauty of the region. Read the letter from Deborah and you may be compelled ... Hurry, the deadline is Jan. 31st. Donate here.