BuildingCircles  Organization Creating affordable and sustainable, nature-integrated homes for independent living

 

Imagine a place ... where ... you can live affordably and sustainably, while feeling safe and comfortable.  where ...  you can reside in an intentional adult community that supports independent living and "aging-in-place" without fear of being prematurely uprooted in later years.  In the BuildingCircles communities, residents will know they are part of something important.  Every day they will be helping to solve the world-wide housing crisis by proving out advanced, sustainable, low-cost community housing models that can be replicated globally. BuildingCircles Organization is seeking landowners with vision who are excited by this earth-friendly and people-friendly project.  One landowner option is to lease long-term to an organization that manages these rental homes.  This could provide revenue while preserving the land for future generations.  Our advanced living building designs will help achieve harmony with nature while providing affordable comfort and security for those who share the dream.       The futuristic renderings and contemporary photographs on this web site are by Robert Bornn except as noted. These images are to help launch your imagination about a new way of living.  The BuildingCircles homes will represent a convergence of beautiful and advanced -- yet proven -- approaches to sustainable and nature-integrated habitation. For hi-res image viewing, de-select "turbo" or "fast loading" in your browser preferences.     Table of Contents Home     Introduction to BCO     Adult Communities      for Independent Living Housing Needs       Age and Disability       Age-in-Place Planning       Cultural Context       World Housing Context The Homes       Appearance       AdvancedGreen       Benefits       Affordable       Materials Solar Heat  (annual solar heating) Universal Design Development       Development Team      If You are A Landowner LifeSense Institute (environmental education) FAQ Gallery Op-ed Site Map Bios Robert Bornn Nancy Henderson, AIA, LEED, AP Laura Worth, MSW Advisors   Links Contact Us

BuildingCircles Community Homes Portal-1 (click picture to enlarge)       BuildingCircles Community Homes Portal-2 (click picture to enlarge)       BuildingCircles Community Homes Portal-3 (click picture to enlarge)

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BuildingCircles Community Homes
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BuildingCircles Community Homes
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Introduction to BuildingCircles   "We do not seek to imitate nature, but rather to find the principles she uses."  -- R. Buckminster Fuller   BuildingCircles Organization is designing homes that are AdvancedGreen, while reasonable in cost.  With award winning professionals our development team is combining architectural form with sustainable, nature-integrated development.  All of our homes will incorporate universal design and a unique approach to affordable building for independent living in adult communities. As we age many many of us will seek advanced, green housing solutions that allow us to gracefully "age in place."  Compact, single story dwellings utilizing universal design will permit adults to transition into assisted living without losing their cherished homes. BuildingCircles Organization will work with landowners who wish to build nature-integrated, easy-to-care-for homes for lease to others or for themselves.  The floor plans on this site are for a representative, 2-person, 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom, 1000 sq. ft. house.

BuildingCircles Community Home  2-Bedroom, 2-Bath, 1000 sq. ft. example  Illustrative Site Plan Courtesy of  Barbara Oakrock of Oakrock Design Studio  (click picture to enlarge)

Our illustrations on this web site are meant to be inspirational "jumping off points" for your imagination. Through an established "charette" process these ideas will coalesce and result in a highly personalized approach to housing design. While BuildingCircles Organization is initially focusing on elder housing, the BCO housing designs, solar energy, water systems, and land use planning concepts can be adapted to any group's housing needs.

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Floor Plan #1 
 

BuildingCircles Community Home  2-Bedroom, 2-Bath, 1000 sq. ft.  Sample Floor Plan by Nancy Henderson, AIA, LEED, AP (click picture for printable version of floor plan)

 

Adult Communities for Independent Living In time, these advanced, BuildingCircles community "open-cluster" designs will become building blocks for more widespread, domestic and international housing.  We plan to facilitate affinity-based, older adult, communities for independent living based on these affordable, AdvancedGreen, nature-integrated homes.  The adult communities we build now will be viable for people in their coming elder years and allow more graceful aging in place.  These projects will demonstrate that community building using sustainable and universal design will serve individuals with special needs of all ages and will result in stronger communities for society.

BuildingCircles Community Homes Portal-9 (click picture to enlarge)

BuildingCircles Community Homes G-1  (click picture to enlarge)	Ultimately, with motivated people, available land, and community support, older adults can build cooperative communities.  The communities we envision will be based on environmentally and human-friendly land planning, structures, and relationships.

Noteworthy:  Aging and Disability Services, King County, WA  ''Quiet Crisis: Age Wave Maxes Out Affordable Housing, King County 2008-2025" published 2009 through the collaboration of six public agencies, Cedar River Group, LLC, and others (including Senior Housing Report, Senior Housing Report Appendix, and more.  http://www.agingkingcounty.org/housing.htm

BuildingCircles Community Homes Portal-1  2-Bedroom, 2-Bath, 1800 sq. ft. homes with Solar Harvester ponds

BuildingCircles Community Homes Portal-2  2-Bedroom, 2-Bath, 1800 sq. ft. homes with Solar Harvester ponds

BuildingCircles Community Homes Portal-6  2-Bedroom, 2-Bath, 1800 sq. ft. homes with Solar Harvester ponds

BuildingCircles Community Homes Portal-7  2-Bedroom, 2-Bath, 1800 sq. ft. homes with Solar Harvester ponds

BuildingCircles Community Homes Portal-8  2-Bedroom, 2-Bath, 1800 sq. ft. homes with Solar Harvester ponds