At the most basic level, our design goals are to meet some fairly strict definitions of sustainable design and construction, to do so within the legal bounds of zoning and building codes and to have some money and time left over when we're done to actually run a residency program.

The quick version of those definitions (with more to come later) includes permaculture principles, demands from the living building challenge and guidelines from the natural step. Practically we hope it will include on-site/off-grid energy generation, high levels of energy efficiency, high levels of both on-site and local food production and use of local materials.

It's also important to say we'll be looking extensively to the "pattern makers" — specifically Christopher Alexander, Max Jacobson, Murray Silverstein, Sarah Suzanka, Edward Mazria, Sam Clark and Dave Jacke &mdash for guidance in our work.