Sunday Thoughts: What Does "Home" Mean To You?

 Many years ago, when I decided that life would be more interesting if I surrounded myself with eccentrics (OK, my life has been filled with them, but this was more of a conscious decision,) I moved to Nelson to hang out with artists. I have always been into that romantic notion that less is more and that the starving artist has so much to offer in the terms of character building etc... Yes, well I have since decided that the starving part has to go, but in those years I learned an awful lot.

Container City made of re-purposed shipping containers that are abandoned because it costs more to ship them back overseas empty than to make new ones.

At one point I dated a guy who was... extraordinarily interesting. He was also borderline crazy, but in that way that many geniuses are. Where they have put all their mental eggs into the intellectual part of their being and not many into the social graces basket. He was my first lesson in living with almost nothing. I had previously been a social princess who preferred the company of those in the extravagant fashion industry. He preferred the company of people who had left the rat race for their own race and he spent most of his time starting shelters and food kitchens when in the bigger cities, so he felt resentful being stuck in a tiny town such as Nelson where his small son lived. We would often take hitch hiking trips out to the larger cities and I would see him become this (more) amazing person when surrounded by streetkids. We would stay up with them all night in the parks talking about things like politics, art, culture... Not the things that society associates generally with street people, but that was the lesson. Those of us still in the rat race miss out on a lot. Also not something I would recommend unless you are with a person that can outcrazy them on any count and that you know can protect you if necessary.

Water Tank from Infomab

It was one of the best things that has ever happened to me because you really cannot understand what it is like to be in those shoes till you have been that close. It is also my firm belief that one cannot gain an absolute appreciation of what they have till they have experienced having nothing. And honestly, sometimes I saw very clearly how these people, in a lot of ways, had so much more. However, the part where people live without basic needs in a country where there is more than enough to go around is deplorable. It really shouldn't be that way and there are people who are trying to find ways to change it.

This is one man's idea for a homeless shelter. It has a toilet, solar shower, water catching system, a kitchen, desk and sleeping area. The two doors when opened were designed to pin on art wares for sale.

Of course, as with most progressive thinking, it comes down to red tape. The government and it's agencies are not on board with actually eradicating homelessness and while the problem continues to grow exponentially around the world, it is the richest countries whose governments do the least. It is up to society to push for intervention as well as to put an end to the notion that the homeless are there because they want to be and that it is simply a waste of time to help them. Hopelessness is an easy feeling to come by when everything has been taken from you. It is not a feeling that is easy to rid yourself of and even less so when the world looks down at you. Anyone who has ever felt failure, a math test, a parenting issue, not getting a promotion at work, if you have had that feeling during a time when you tried your hardest then it should not be a stretch to understand where these people are coming from. And if you continue to try and you get nowhere, how long does it take before you feel hopeless?

The test of a civilization is the way that it cares for its helpless members.~Pearl S. Buck (1892-1973)

Pallet House

 I think the big move to make affordable housing a reality is stemming from the fact that so many people are realizing that they are only one paycheck away from being homeless. It is happening all over the continent from the economic crisis and all over the world as a result of the earthquakes, floods and hurricanes. It is totally bizarre that after years of this we still haven't come up with a viable solution that has been acceptably implemented. Studies show that it is the impoverished that are the first to step up to help the people who lose everything. It makes sense because it is a reality for them. But it is unfortunate that there are still so many that don't understand how real the issue is.

A Vancouver project by Emily Carr students.

 I have been lucky enough to see both sides of the fence, and truthfully, I am undecided which side has greener grass. I would like to think that there is a happy medium where we can all live with a smaller footprint, help each other build stronger communities and find a way to integrate systems where we can think outside of our society's box and give everyone a way to live a healthier and more productive life. The projects in these photos from around the world are just a few examples of how it is more than possible if we just check our issues at the door and put in a bit of effort. I know it seems overwhelming in the broad scope of things to see the forest for the trees, but homelessness is an issue that does affect every one of us and society as a whole. If the only thing you do is change the way you perceive the situation, it is a step in the right direction.

If you know of a way to effectively help, or of a project that is working, feel free to leave it in the comments!

Steel Butterfly

I am SO excited about this. In my circle of "always ready with a hairbrained, newfangled, tree hugging idea" kind of friends, the discussion of alternative housing and building comes up often. Being in the Kootenays, the Land of the Intentional Community, there are actual examples of eco housing all over the place if you know where to look for them. What we don't understand, is why the concept is still labeled "alternative" and not looked to as the emerging norm.

Enter Maison Idekit Home out of Quebec. (For those of you not geographically adept, that is the large french part of Canada that sits right in the middle. Home to Montreal, which even Vogue recognizes as not being limited to igloos... unless of course you count the Ice Hotel, which is at least the most fabulous igloo going... for those who are into that sort of thing.) Maison Idekit's founders Bernard Morin and Joyce Labelle have finished construction on their dream home, which is also their business prototype, using seven reclaimed shipping containers. The massive steel boxes are the type used by freighters to carry shipments overseas and are generally reused to some extent. Eventually though, they end up in a sort of giant box graveyard that hopes to at least see the steel recycled, but with wood losing its reputation of being the worlds most renewable resource and the strength of steel being greater, using these containers for much needed affordable housing makes sense.

Brilliant idea, not to mention green, but the emphasis here is on affordable. The cost of the Idekit home using traditional building meathods, would reportedly be $400,000. Apparently, the actual cost using the second of the Three Rs was for $175,000. That is a HUGE difference and other countries (of course) have already put this idea into production. A company who calls itself, appropriately, Container City in London in the UK already is in full swing with a number of buildings that also boast clean wind turbine energy for their live/work studios.

For use as student housing in Holland the containers make quite a statement as the Keetwonen complex.

Hurricane victims in the US, as well as a few here and there one offs, may be the start of a movement on this side of the ocean, and companies such as DeMaria Design Associates are turning prefab into preFAB. (Ugh, I hate it when I do that. Sometimes it cannot be helped.)

The DeMaria website uses one of my favorite Bucky Fuller quotes,

"There is nothing in a caterpillar tells you it is going to be a butterfly."

So true.

Inspired By The Garden of Life- Doshi Levien

This year in Milan, Moroso launched their Beautiful Backsides into the public eye. For me, the moment I laid eyes on the creations of Doshi Levien was the beginning of the sort of crush you get on a movie star where your pulse quickens every time you see the picture but you know the chances of actually meeting in person are pretty slim, let alone going home with them. The crush phase, however, has now blossomed into a beautiful relationship. Well, on my part. OK, I suppose that makes it a bit stalker-esque, but the more I learn about Nipa Doshi and Jonathan Levien the more I like 'em. Lots. 

 

Let's start with the obvious. Their pieces for Moroso are wow. I mean it. Lots of other words come to mind also, but the first time I tripped over the blue sofa online that was the only thing in my head. Just a huge wow. Period. In today's overpopulation of tuxedo lines, this is SO refreshing, and the graphic elements and colour are genius. 

Their Princepessa piece is of course a reference to the Princess and the Pea. Not only are fairytales sheer uberness but being inspired by one that pits a farm girl against the aristocracy and has the farm girl come out on top using honesty over beauty says something. 

In serious coolness even beyond that, the company is committed to sustainability, utilizing all the right Rs, which puts them at the top of my list. Also, I have big respect for the way the duo sources only the best talent in production. 

Which brings us to shoes. Yes shoes. The pedi-art that Doshi Levien have created in collaboration with John Lobb are made completely by hand by London artisans that have generations of experience in leather working and a collective understanding of human anatomy. This is what it takes to take a shoe from fashion piece to perfection. Again, not in my closet anytime soon, but sometimes just knowing that people still take pride in what they do is enough to motivate one to aspire to the same.  

We can be inspired by the greatness in what these two have accomplished in such a short period of time, but also in the way they go about their work and in finding what they need in their other half. The couple's inspiration for My Beautiful Backside is a painting of a man and a woman lounging on pillows from the stunning book "The Garden of Life", written by Naveem Patnaik, who not only is a popular politician but also an avid supporter and lobbyist for the arts and the environment. A man who truly sees the entirety of what he stands for. I think Nipa and Jonathan most likely live their life by the same principles and are a good example of, well... good. 

Do you dream in white?

I have nothing at all to say about these photos. They speak for themselves.

Imagine Morocco.

Photo Credits: Shootfactory