This is a real location with a 3d mockup scaled to size to fit into the pitch we were offered, we had done environmental impact reporting on the location had a number of discussions with the management company of the land and location and we had hit a really nice dialog — the only problem was that two weeks before it was too be a funded project, with the project and cheque sign off sitting on the chief exec’s desk the project was pulled.
I was devastated, I don’t think I really got over that and I’m sure my trajectory of who I am now would have been the same. the company was laying off 1000 people so could not be seen to be putting money into ‘social projects’ so my year long project with the wooden eco house never materialised, it would have been the perfect video/youtube project at the time
remember this was over eight year ago now, how things change, crazy to see bella so young here, it really would have been crazy for us to have spent time there together when she was so young ;)
You probably don’t know this about me but i’ve been wanting to live a bit more of an off-grid lifestyle for about six years now — for one I think it’s the better way to live, independent from grids, reconnect ourselves back with nature and use the latest technologies to self sustain, not to gloat or to put a self analyse lenses on ourselves but to show their is another way.
when I look back I realise that all of these moments in my life have been learning points to make me stand back and reflect on what I’m trying to achieve, I had a digital studio setup and I was trying my hardest to make that work, I had been to a conference where I had seen the ark up close and personal and I had started to have comms with the company.
the ark was this awesome offgrid little hut/office home with walls that sloped up (kept the heat in better) but also it felt like you laying down on the side of a grass bank (especially with the fake grass they had in there) I fell in love with it and wanted to do a project straight with it.
I know that this life is still in my DNA and I’m very keen to find some land and people to work with this time next year, this year is very much about being more mobile, checking out locations and commute times and finding a spot that will work to put something very similar down as a basecamp in europe — I wonder if this company is still going?
have you had any passion projects that you never managed to pull off? did you revisit them? what's on your five year plan? anything bigger that you are working towards?
