Communal living comes in many forms. Although we'd all like to forget the absolute failure of past attempts, there exists a much more refined and high-tech version that can be quite amazing to learn about. When done correctly, living communally can dramatically lower our society's environmental impact while maintaining our privacy and while actually increasing our standard of living. Such homes would have corporate telephone and server computer systems, segregated living areas, and master bedroom suites with full entertainment centers, personal computers, and ample storage space. There'd be wider hallways, soundproof materials within the walls and floors, and top-quality appliances to meet expected demands. Such homes can have 46-seat movie theater/conference centers, game room/sports bars, libraries, craft rooms, and even a multiuse racquetball court - all features that help to offset any perceived lack of privacy.
Most importantly, such homes would have professionally-equipped offices, sub-industrial-scale workshops, and garage bays able to hold large trucks. These features allow residents to establish comprehensive home-based businesses unlike any other. Being able to work productively right from home will allow highly skilled residents to launch an absolute renaissance in the quality of living that middle-class citizens can achieve. Craftsmanship would improve and more durable, commercial-quality homes could be built with the savings realized on travel-related expenses alone.
This book contains the conceptual floor plans for ten communal homes. There are thought provoking four- and seven-bedroom extended-family dwellings that far outperform contemporary homes. There are 11-, 12-, and 23-bedroom units with extensive shop and office facilities. There are larger 42- and 81-bedroom units with more activity areas than most small towns have. There's even a theoretical 21-level mid-rise facility offered that would fill the core of a professional stadium. All of these designs have emergency-enhanced features (such as extensive visitor accommodations) to help families better cope with region-wide disasters. A map of the United States showing potential disaster areas to avoid is also included for consideration.
All drawings are presented in an easy-to-understand, clutter-free format. This allows readers to focus on the design's true performance, not its aesthetical appearance. Readers are provided with a wealth of supporting information. Chapter by chapter details describe just how functional, efficient, and even how downright enjoyable such arrangements can be when homes are specifically designed for such intensified living conditions.
No longer do we have to embrace a lottery mentality of foolishly thinking that we can simply win our way to a better life. When we go about life so decisively as this, we can systematically achieve a far higher standard of living as well as lowering land consumption 60% to 95%. With lower level parking garages, flat/usable rooftops, and hydroponic/greenhouses, no home could ever get anymore environmentally friendly than these. Indeed, greater self-sufficiency at the home level is the key to reducing our society's infrastructure overload and it allows us to better cope with natural disasters and regional blackouts!
This is a full-size (8.25" x 10.75") book containing seven chapters, nine appendix sections, and 52 B&W line drawings and photos.
Enjoy!
Eco Author Chris Eldridge
Christopher John Eldridge earned an Associates Degree in mainframe computer programming at the Harrisburg Area Community College in 1997, going on to a seven-year career in this field. While at college, he earned a 3.8 GPA, worked as a Student Instructor (SI), and tutored programming.
Professional life never satisfied Chris, however. The activism instilled in him early on as a teenage runaway and homeless person meant that he spent every second of his personal time working towards humanitarian and environmental progress: petitioning and protesting in every way he knew how. His first book, Conceptual Communal Home Design, aptly demonstrates a new and painstaking analytical approach to this on and off again way of living. His highly functional floor plans (developed methodically over 18 years) systematically achieve a far higher quality of living for residents, while reducing land consumption by as much as 60% to 98%! The former Governor of California, Mayor Jerry Brown, commended Chris for advocating such land-conscious designs.
Apart from his passion for functional home designs, Chris also engages in a minimalist way of life known as living simply: where every action he makes becomes a chance to conserve still more! His second book, Environmental Practices: From Living Simply to Global Advancement, documents the many things he learned about caring for the environment on a personal level, as well as how high technology has helped everything from oil tankers to jumbo-jet airliners become much more environmentally friendly. The book—now in its sixth edition—also contains his latest communal home designs and a chapter on emergency preparedness. In recognition of his efforts, Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts stated:
"Environmental Practices offers creative ways, designs, and technology to protect and improve the state of our environment; and I commend you for your comprehensive work."
Chris trained for eight-year in the martial arts and also for a few years in Tai Chi and yoga. He has studied Buddhism and Native American skills and has designed and sewn highly detailed outdoor clothing attire (for his own use) for some 19 years. Chris authored a seven-page feature article for the magazine Law Enforcement Technology in August 2004 called Preparing for a Super-Disaster, had more than 27 pro-space and pro-peace reader-responses printed on MSNBC.com, and is a valued member of The Carter Center and The Planetary Society.
