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  • From: Zack D <zack@riseup.net>
  • To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] reDesign/reBuild Guild (Zack D)
  • Date: Tue, 6 Dec 2005 18:57:41 +0000 (UTC)

elsa higby <exaptor7@...> writes:

>
> Hi Zack,
>
> An idea I have that could be implemented in any urban local and make use
> of
such a Guild as you propose or
> perhaps be a show piece of the Guild is to create a 501-C3 that owns even
> one
old heat hog of a house and has as
> it's mission to use this house as research on various technologies and
> systems
designed for urban or
> suburban living. Ultimately, it could involve local universities,
> highschools
as well as
> environmental and gardening groups becoming a training tool as well as a
> cost
effective way to develop
> design templates for specific types of housing.
>
> Various templates for retrofit design could be created from the research
projects applied to the house.
> Ultimately, it would be a creative resource with a focus to re-use existing
housing to make it
> sustainable.
>
> Cheers, Elsa

Elsa -

Nice. Have you read The Integral Urban House? It's a book by the Farallones
Institute in the seventies that did some of what you're talking about. I think
the guild model could, with imagination attempt a great variety of projects
and
differing applications, similar to how plant communities vary in membership
and
function throughout changing elevation, climate, and time.

Occidental Arts and Ecology Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit operating on a site
run by Sowing Circle, a limited liability company. There is some overlap
between
board members and staff, but their model is exciting in the way it is
structured, in that actual ownership of property is held by Sowing Circle LLC,
eliminating risk in the event that OAEC should fail. Two separate sources of
finances make the system more resilient. Does anyone have any other examples
of
a similar structure?

>From Oxford English Dictionary:

Guild: A confraternity or association formed for the mutual aid and protection
of its members, or for the furtherance of some common purpose.

My proposal for a design guild is not entirely new. Larry Santoyo at EarthFlow
has been using a similar model for years and years. Blending specialized
professions under one umbrella enables a relatively small organization to
appeal
to a large market (by market I mean both audience and source of income) Where
their skills as individuals overlap, creating a sort of "ecotone" in which new
and unprecedented possibilities can arise. Thus, a group of five individuals:
an
electrician, a plumber, a builder/carpenter, a stove specialist, and a
permaculture landscape designer are each all of these, if the situation is
right. Everyone can swing a hammer, wire fixtures, plaster a house, etc. More
paid work is available in the event of a shortage in any one profession,
although I doubt this will be the case, considering where consciousness (and
market) is moving. Even so, hiring on additional laborers or interns for
building projects would be simple, since hordes like myself are dying to get
into this line of work anyway. This could easily replicate the
apprentice/journeyman model that guilds have historically employed, although
the
historic guild differs from this idea significantly in two ways: Guilds were
commonly comprised of a group of professionals working in the same field
(i.e. a
"Guild of Blacksmiths"), and Guilds eventually sought to suppress their
competition through control of the market (i.e. Screen Actors Guild).

Where the use of "guild" to denote functional plant communities borrowed the
term from conventional guilds, it has itself evolved a new concept that we can
look to as an organic model of cooperation. Multiple elements support each
other, multiple functions support each single element. A synergism appears,
and
a support structure for the furtherance of a common cause comes into play.
Multiple yields: livelihoods, a strengthened community, garden projects,
restoration work, public classes, workshops and others could be possible.
Also,
the advantages of working together are obvious. Rather than disparate
specialists working one piece at a time, an inspired group of individuals
would
have a synergistic effect on everything they tackled. Another advantage is
that
of word-of-mouth referrals. The builder knows a good electrician, a
plasterer, a
plumber, etc. etc. and "would be happy to give you their number".

So I have a few questions for the list, if you would, please:

How could such a group be structured?
An LLC owning land and the company title, operating a 501(C)3 for grants and
community projects? Are there any working models out there?

Like plant communities, this model could be adaptable to a wide variety of
environments/situations, but the most obvious to me is the
building/landscaping
world, where many trades overlap. I'm sure forestry, furniture building,
pottery
and ceramics, and metalworking could also be applied. Any ideas for
adaptations
beyond the homebuilding world? Something involving teachers, farmers, etc?

Let's keep an open discussion if we can. I've had several emails from
interested
folks filled with great ideas, but please post any responses to the list so
that
others can see.

Peace,

Zack





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