Shambhala Village is a place of hope for humanity to apply courageous and graceful cures to the root causes of climate change by providing accessible, inspired and inspiring technical solutions. Many technologies are demonstrated and explored, such as Insul-tanks for reliable concentrated farming, solar thermal storage, water purification and water storage, but all revolve around a core solution c
alled Flex-Shell Architecture or, more precisely, Flex-Shell Core Monolith Architecture. Flex-Shell Core Monolith Architecture is an accessible ultra-durable building method for hurricane, tornado and earthquake safe buildings. These sheltered-garden endowed buildings embody the harmonious acceptance of change by telling a story through form, a story that can transcend time; a story of independence and the honoring a diverse collective of private individual perspectives and; a story of how to align with the bountiful and enduring spirit of life by engaging in a responsive and respectful dialogue with the ecology, geology, seasons, winds, sun cycles and all the relationships relevant to the preservation of a strong, enduring peaceful home for future generations. A special high-strength composite is used for strong thin shells to make an ultra-sturdy curvilinear core design. The composite is reinforced with two complimenting kinds of basalt fibers, a refinned pozzolan that enables the shell to gain strength instead of weaken over time, and a special closed-sperical-cell aeration that makes it water tight, resistant to damage from sharp impacts, like bullets, because of the cushioning effect of the aeration and high compressive/cohesive strength of the composite shell, and the spherical aeration that permanently prevents chemical expansion reactions, such as rust and ice, from damaging the shell. The properties of this simple composite recipe essentially causes the reinforcing and building to become like a fossil that can possibly traverse the oceans of time like no other material created by man. The shell composite is applied to a sturdy wire frame made using an easy and fun hands-on method that allows for the smooth blending of precisely controlled curvilinear shapes and the exploration of forms that are hard to even imagine. This initial core phase is for a stand-alone sturdy core of the building that is is called a Core Monolith Flex-Shell Pavilion. It consists of many design elements that blend into a singular monolithic flexible shape to help the entirety of the building distribute bending strains that would otherwise be damaging. The core primarily consists of a double-shelled structural sandwich, or stress-skin roof, built around a curvilinear wire-block truss frames. These light curved trusses are broad enough to support long reaching spans, if needed, while providing an insulating thickness. The hollow volume around and in between the trusses is later filled with an ultra-light cellularconcrete (closed-spherical-cell aeration plus mortar) that can be pumped in thru a tiny hole. This insulating fill provides high-impact protection. The Core Monolith is also defined by the curled-edge and fluidly shaped cantilevered awning and the funnel shaped columns that smoothly blend the structural-sandwich roof shape and awning together. At a carefully chosen building site, thoughtful consideration is also given to the land, natural drainage, ecosystem, potential weather and seasonal sun cycles and angles. During the construction of the building, the design can morph and refine to accommodate new perspectives that come to light. For long term stability the columns are carefully integrated into the natural drainage and terrain. Retaining walls, made using the same high-strength shell & reinforcing material, are then used to terrace the flat living area around the deeply rooted columns make to make a level pad that diverts runoff away. Properly reinforced retaining walls require much less resources when using these shell materials that provide a vialble alternative to relying on destructive Earth leveling techniques that often result in unpredictable erosion and foundation stability problems. Secondary terraced flat areas around the building serve as long-term erosion control by receiving runoff water. They slow the water down to build soil and protect the areas directly around the building, while providing gardens that can benefit from the extra water and protection from the building. These terraced gardens may also include native plants and stabilize the natural terrain and ecology, improving soils. Benefiting the natural ecosystem and soils not only provides long term stability for the foundation and structures, it benefits the sheltered gardens above the funnel gardens and around the building by seeding the immunity protection of wild soil fauna and providing the pest protection of birds, lizards and insects that are already existing in a long-developed balance under the largely unbroken canopy of plants and trees. This design approach allows for the native life to be kept close to the building in a safe, beautiful and complimenting way that doesn't crowd the sheltered gardens and flat living and access areas with wild vegetation. These fire-proof buildings illustrate natural belonging and the mutual benefit of stability by integrating thoughtfully with the natural drainage, geology, ecology, anticipated weather extremes and all circumstances and relationships from the real design/build perspective. The sheltered rain-runoff watered gardens around the building, that are also in the cupping reservoirs above the awnings, imply a lifestyle that can, when needed, endure by being independent. These forms do imply some isolation from the hustle-&-bustle of city life thru natural integration into a terrain that is more welcoming to Flex-Shell Architecture when it is more steep and wild, but this level of independence is crucial for a healthy vibrant community of individuals. Being able to reliably produce locally with high-tech gardens that can be protected from weather extremes, can help communities endure hard times. The capacity to be somewhat independent when needed encourages fair wages that are befitting of independent people who are not so desperate and so vulnerable to exploitation. The Entry Wall Phase is a follow-up stage of construction that keys into the rounded profile between the columns so the walls cannot fall inward or outward during an earthquake. These sheltered entry walls contain the doors and windows and can be made in the protection of the pavilion and made from the same material or different materials such as cob, straw bale, sandbags, wood frame or adobe. These walls may also contain the electrical and plumbing and express the arcitectural preference of the time since they are likely to be much less durable than the Core Monolith. Since the singular focus of the Core Monolith Flex-Shell Pavilion is long term stability through integration, interaction, dialogue and understanding of the natural circumstance, the focus of the entry wall designs can be freed up to be expressive of individual uniqueness and preference. A home can house a true individual who is freed by meaningfully expressing respect for the freedom and independence of others.
