I met my friend Louise Brody (a former Parisian of the Month, click here to read the interview) for a coffee last month, and each of us had important news to share with each other. I told her about my photo exhibition at the Pont Royal and she told me about a new project in Spain she was excited about.
Louise is a graphic designer specializing in high- quality design and coffee table books and her husband Charles Poisay is an environmentally committed architect. Together they are working on SantElm66, a home on the Costa Brava in Spain, which will also serve as a place for workshops and interpersonal exchanges focused on responsible living. The home is zero-energy building and reminiscent of the bold mid-century homes built in the U. S. during the 1950s and 1960s. The outside of the home reflects the colors of the region with sun-kissed yellow and terracotta and has a magnificent, unobstructed view of the Mediterranean.
Participants will be invited to stay in the house for a six-day period, attending daily 4-hour hands-on activities and classrooms, on preserving the environment through human actions: architecture, urban planning, design, landscaping, agriculture, natural resource and energy management, and cultural exchanges.
After the daily sessions, guests are free to engage in the wonderful local activities and attractions of the area including swimming in the sea and enjoying the beach, food markets, mountain hikes, and boating.
There will also be 3-day mini-workshops focusing on organic farming, wine producing, olive oil production and slow regional cooking.
Workshops will be held in July and August and will be trilingual: English / Spanish / French as needed.
SantElm66 has been beyond a labor of love for Louise and Charles, a ten year plus dream project not only to realize the house, but to also make a shift from city living to a more responsible approach to living naturally from the land and surrounding environment.
The house is in its completion stage and Louise and Charles have started a Kickstarter campaign to fund the necessary steps to finish building the house. They are offering various participation packages for donors including attending a dinner conference, an abstract print of the SantElm66, and a 3-day and 6-day workshop.
If you are passionate about design and the environment please support Louise and Charles with SantElm66.
Louise and Charles
If you haven't already seen my Eye Prefer Paris exhibit, it's on until March 31.
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