Moondance

Using sites and designs that reflect the very nature of where we are, who we are and why we are, Moonshadow Ventures acquires property and builds in the Salish Sea’s temperate woodlands. We recognize and adopt elegant passive and active systems, dealing with force and celebrating life – seeking ways for raw sites to be exalted and reflected in the built environment.

We have envisioned an intentional dynastic legacy created as a community based Forest Family Farm. It is a humble, robust and powerful dwelling with a good work ethic – simple and graceful with an authentic Northwest design. Moondance is not just a pretty face; she is also an ergonomic Endurance Dwelling.

Pro-forma items for the project include:

  • Negotiated
  • Pre-sold custom home
  • Deep Green
  • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant
  • Complete Maintenance and Operations Manual (hundred year cycles)
  • Rural base for activities and operations

Buyers will engage their own architect and builder. They will assemble their own plans and budgets, arriving with the final cost within a time TBD.

This building is an iconic iteration in the spectrum of custom homes and stands alone. Created with dynastic continuation in mind, it is designed structurally and biologically to endure centuries without compromise. Our complete Deep Green package (see Endurance Dwellings) assures power, water and food will exist in sustainable form indefinitely.

The standards from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design LEED, visions from the Living Building Challenge LBC, directives from the International Living Future Institute ILFI, systems and best practices from Low Impact Development LID techniques and ideas from “A Pattern Language” have elevated this unique, pre-eminent building into the realm of extraordinary force-based structures.

There will be only one.

Form follows function is a maxim coined by Louis Sullivan and used by Frank Lloyd Wright in the Guggenheim Museum and states that the shape that something has (form) should be chosen based on its intended purpose (function) – we have added force to this equation so we can complete the cycle of influence. Nothing happens without force first.

One good example would be the mansard roof  slope – the drip-edge 10’ from the exterior wall. It has multiple functions:

  • Directs water from the drip edge to the footing drain
  • Creates a covered arcade that acts as a promenade around the entire dwelling
  • In winter the mansard angle admits passive solar rays to heat the internal thermal mass
  • In high summer the sunlight cannot penetrate to the interior because of the angle

Site forces give us logical forms that are dedicated to interacting with the function required – we use shapes that are consistent with their job but also have other interests. Our patterns of ergonomic common sense grow as we interact with our clients and the forces involved. When we defend our forest from the force of fire, the side effects create a park-like setting where native species are dominant, keeping the biosphere content.

Force-fed design means that everything has a reason behind it, and we must be clear when we are explaining the background that causes us to implement a particular design event.

There are many forces we must deal with. Wind, fire, water, sun – these are common macro forces that require certain shapes to enhance function; however there are significant micro forces that usually are unmentioned.

Parking is an enormous force. View, accessibility, light pollution – there are dozens of forces encountered that contribute to the overall operation of the project. Using this formula we can be sure our designs will fit anyone, anywhere, any time for any purpose.

We have provided the shell as a model for a Northwest version of an operational Forest Family Farm. It is a design statement researched on site, based on site forces and their long range influence.

The interiors are intentionally vague, offering scale and perspective for configurations. Buyers will modify the product (within limits TBD) and tailor to fit their personal styles and requirements.

Our force/function/form profile is different from any other single-family. Northwest specific, it will act as a model for others and is being developed on a strong ergonomic level to provide safety and longevity. Simplicity in the structural composition allows a liberal design flux experience. Using our shell as a guide rooms can be easily planned, formed, changed or moved to accommodate needs.

In the end, the logic of nature endures. Knowing this and using best available science we start at the beginning, in a temperate forest biosphere, close to the Salish Sea, with little or no carbon history.