Team Structure
Given the need for a new Community Building, Dancing Rabbit residents elected a committee known as the Community Building Design Committee (CBDC). The role of the CBDC is to moderate and represent community viewpoints – saving time in the design process; bring specific knowledge about the community in order that nothing is assumed or overlooked; and be an extension of the design team for research and work in community design. The members of the CBDC all bring unique expertise and insight to the project, which will allow for a richer design solution in the end.
Community Building Design Committee
Anthony “Bear” Barrett:
Bear came to Dancing Rabbit 5 years ago with many years of fine art furniture making under his belt. Those skills translated well to building houses–which he has been doing ever since. Bear contributed extensively to the Ironweed kitchen, the Milkweed Mercantile, and the Timberframe addition. He has also designed and built Larkspur, Lobelia, and La Casa de Cultura.
Bear contributes a preference for simplicity, and a healthy dose of reality to the design team, to say nothing of his wit and dashing good looks.
Tony Sirna:
Tony was one of Dancing Rabbit’s founders and has lived in the village for 15 years. He serves on Dancing Rabbit’s Land Use Planning committee and has been part of designing the village both physically and socially from the beginning. He’s been the lead builder on two strawbale homes at Dancing Rabbit including the 2800 sq ft, 6 bedroom Skyhouse where he now lives and works. His most recent project was installing a village-wide micro grid powered by over 25 kW of solar electricity. Tony serves on the Dancing Rabbit Land Trust Board and is Development Coordinator for Dancing Rabbit, Inc.
On the Community Building project he is focusing on energy systems, HVAC, and water systems as well as doing the financial planning. Tony also brings deep experience with the communities movement with his 15 years as a board member of FIC which has taken him to dozens of communities around North America.
Jennifer Martin:
Jennifer has lived and worked at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage since the spring of 2005. Throughout this time, she’s been working with other members of Dancing Rabbit to develop community-wide sustainable systems for village planning, infrastructure, governance, human needs, and land management using efficient, sustainable practices that protect and promote the health of the earth. Working on both the macro and micro spheres, from overarching ecovillage design principles to details of system components, Jennifer learned through hands-on experience that ecological design works most effectively when considered in a holistic manner.
A building designer by trade, Jennifer discovered the natural building movement in 2001, and has wed design, construction and sustainability ever since. Jennifer has been working on sustainable architecture contracting and project management since 2008, and has developed and managed holistic natural building internship programs since 2009. Jennifer leads the management of D2R, a sustainable architecture design/build firm. As a member of the common house design team, Jennifer brings to the project a strong architectural design background, contracting experience, and a love of promoting sustainable architecture.
CH Design Team
Alex Whitcroft:
Alex is a multi-disciplinary architectural designer born in England. His work focuses on craft, blending innovative and traditional materials and technologies, and resonating with local people and landscape.
He graduated from The Welsh School of Architecture with first class honors and the T Alwyn Lloyd Scholarship at Bachelor’s and a distinction and the Wyn Thomas prize at Master’s. His sketchbook has been featured in the Architect’s Journal and his thesis Time Limited Architecture was nominated for the prestigious RIBA President’s Medals award. As well as his freelance work, Alex has worked for a number of award winning architectural and design companies including Loyn & Co. (Architects), Belsize Architects, Hunter & Partners (Architects), and Alex Marker (Theatre Set Design).
Alex has had a connection to Dancing Rabbit for a number of years now, first visiting the community as a work-exchanger in 2009. To facilitate a deeper than normally possible connection between designer and community, Alex is living as a resident within Dancing Rabbit while the building is designed. Alex is also serving on Dancing Rabbit’s Land Use Planning & Policy Committee, helping to integrate the Common House project with the wider village design.
As the lead designer, Alex brings to the team design and project management expertise as well as general knowledge of the sustainable construction industry.