What Have I Done - House, landscape, ADU - This is what I have done here. Choose a feature from the drop down menu to see many before and now images and explanations.
Starting 22 years ago, transforming my quarter acre suburban property has been one of the most fun, timely and satisfying projects in my life!
If you are interested to transform your property, great! Your property is your canvas and a good place to imagine what your place can become, its good to see what others have done. I suggest reading the rest of this page and have a look at the site graphic below. Then have a look at "On Site Features" above. Check out the list of different actions. Start with before and now fotos and then go from there. You might check you tube for other ideas, too.
I had never bought a house before although I did build a small hand built cabin in the Arkansas, Ozarks in the late 70's.
My social and political tendencies have been counter culture since high school, at this point, a convergence of care for the natural world, permaculture, economics, urban land use and positive human potential. Moving into this house has provided me an opportunity to transform a 1/4 acre, nothing special, suburban property with these interests in mind. For me, this place has become a small example of a preferred future already here. I love it!
The Property and Neighborhood
The property is a quarter acre and flat. Solar access is very good. The backyard is on the south side of the house, the house is oriented east- west, the longer axis of the property is north south. The neighborhood is mostly '50s and '60s suburban, with the exception of infill taking place across the street. A wholesale nursery is winding down and turning into suburbia starting in 2006 and up to the present, 2018.
My house was built in 1955. It is early ranch. It was 1100 square feet but now has 1600 square feet indoor space which includes the large sun room and converted garage. Demographically, the neighborhood is middle/working class. There are 10 to 15 other "permaculture" properties with their own features within a five minute bike ride. One neighbor down the street has a nice solar electric system, there's a 1200 sq ft straw bale studio several minutes away used of yoga and permaculture classes. That property shares a property line with another renewal project, the fence is down and that house to another permaculture site with a fence down. Two others properties of an acre each are a couple blocks further down the street fully into making big changes.
My next door neighbor took out his gravel driveway and turned it into a garden. He has bees and a fair amount of edible landscaping. Neighbors on the other side have cold frames on their several raised beds along with several chickens to go along with a hot tub and still plenty of grassy back yard.
The soil is pretty good here, an historic flood plain of the Willamette River. This area was a patchwork of small farms and orchards 50 years ago. Nine acres of cabbage were under cultivation down the street up untill 15 years ago. Infill is ongoing.
The graphic below shows many of the features of the property.
If you are interested to transform your property, great! Your property is your canvas and a good place to imagine what your place can become, its good to see what others have done. I suggest reading the rest of this page and have a look at the site graphic below. Then have a look at "On Site Features" above. Check out the list of different actions. Start with before and now fotos and then go from there. You might check you tube for other ideas, too.
I had never bought a house before although I did build a small hand built cabin in the Arkansas, Ozarks in the late 70's.
My social and political tendencies have been counter culture since high school, at this point, a convergence of care for the natural world, permaculture, economics, urban land use and positive human potential. Moving into this house has provided me an opportunity to transform a 1/4 acre, nothing special, suburban property with these interests in mind. For me, this place has become a small example of a preferred future already here. I love it!
The Property and Neighborhood
The property is a quarter acre and flat. Solar access is very good. The backyard is on the south side of the house, the house is oriented east- west, the longer axis of the property is north south. The neighborhood is mostly '50s and '60s suburban, with the exception of infill taking place across the street. A wholesale nursery is winding down and turning into suburbia starting in 2006 and up to the present, 2018.
My house was built in 1955. It is early ranch. It was 1100 square feet but now has 1600 square feet indoor space which includes the large sun room and converted garage. Demographically, the neighborhood is middle/working class. There are 10 to 15 other "permaculture" properties with their own features within a five minute bike ride. One neighbor down the street has a nice solar electric system, there's a 1200 sq ft straw bale studio several minutes away used of yoga and permaculture classes. That property shares a property line with another renewal project, the fence is down and that house to another permaculture site with a fence down. Two others properties of an acre each are a couple blocks further down the street fully into making big changes.
My next door neighbor took out his gravel driveway and turned it into a garden. He has bees and a fair amount of edible landscaping. Neighbors on the other side have cold frames on their several raised beds along with several chickens to go along with a hot tub and still plenty of grassy back yard.
The soil is pretty good here, an historic flood plain of the Willamette River. This area was a patchwork of small farms and orchards 50 years ago. Nine acres of cabbage were under cultivation down the street up untill 15 years ago. Infill is ongoing.
The graphic below shows many of the features of the property.
