California grieving, California dreaming: Tuning into the new
What it could look like to build a world together with people we love
A hot day in the early 2000s
Twenty years ago on a hot-hot day amid Santa Ana winds, Stefan and I visited the CalEarth campus in Hesperia. It was a revelation. A village of elegant, hand-built, super quirky domed houses.
I felt an immediate kinship with the Rumi-quoting architect founder, Nader Khalili. I inhaled his book, Ceramic Houses & Earth Architecture. I fantasized about using these indigenous Iranian techniques to build a tango commune out of superadobe with our community. One like this colorful tiny-house neighborhood in the Caspian Sea. But, everyone said, nobody will let you build that kind of thing in California.
Following CalEarth’s journey these years has been a rollercoaster. Finally in 2021, they received the ICC-ES certification for their unique, patented system. It meets strict code requirements to be used as an earthquake-resistant building material...in California.
California grieving, California dreaming
Today Stefan and I are grateful that the friends we made from our 20-plus years living and community-building in Los Angeles are safe and sound. We grieve their losses.
We are metabolizing the pain of losing places we loved. The memory of sing-shouting Hamilton along the PCH at sunrise. Hiking with tango friends in Malibu, feasting at Reel Inn. Our heart is with the spirit of a great oak tree we consider sacred, likely in the fire’s path.
The nested and entangled difficulties of where and how to live in times of more extreme weather events call for new cultural DNA and new forms in the built environment. This month, even in the midst of witnessing the tragic collapse of parts of old LA, I saw seeds of the future.
Everyone has their ways of dealing with grief. Mine is to focus on what now? what’s next? This gives me a sense of agency, possibility. This may not be what you need now; I honor you as you move through this time in your way.
I’m envisioning new kinds of living campus created by Californians. Beautifully wrought, fire-safe neighborhoods, created using traditional building techniques and local materials. The 2025 fires give us an opportunity to rebuild Los Angeles even better. Folks are taking a stand for change. And CalEarth is ready to help, with free education to those affected by the fires. Maybe that colorful village is in the cards.
Building, living, and learning with friends
With my book done, I’ve been tuning into what I want to do and create in the next chapter of my life. It involves building, living, and learning with friends.
There are wonderful patterns out there to build on: like friend compounds, co-living, co-housing, house hacking, intergenerational campuses, “live near friends” neighborhoods, pop-up villages, Montessori apartments, and many more. I’m so grateful to the innovators who have shared their dreams and experiments: I’ve learned from the case studies in Supernuclear, especially Radish; from the stories of FractalNYC and the example of Crossways Communities; from touring places like Treehouse Foundation. It’s been stimulating to follow Cabin’s story as they build their dream in public; and Edge Esmeralda sounds like the place to be this summer!
May you find the strength and inspirations you need to form a life that is congruent with your needs, the times, and the earth. I’d love to be in conversation and together uncover a vision for the next decade.