Tricircle Pavilion Wins Architectural Award

"THREE vastly different, but creative and innovative designs have made the cut for this year’s Border Kei Institute of Architects (BKIA) regional award."

So begins an article in the recent edition of East London's online Daily Dispatch. Read the article here and discover how the judges felt this unique building enters the realm of the poetic and inspirational.

Discover the background to this building and how the design of the three overlapping circles aspires to "ground the heavenly-mindedness of the Christian faith with the nitty, gritty challenge of caring for planet and people."

Central Park Inspiration?

Leavenworth, WA - The best images I've found celebrating the goal of sustainability as the Tricircle Program seeks to articulate it, are located, of all places, in Central Park, New York. And they are beautiful! Take a look!






A tricircle, nestled within a circle...

...cradles a bird on her nest, secure in the leafy branches of a tree.










A different bird wings its way across what has to be a clear, blue sky...







...while others flock to the safety and shelter of some tree branches while, I'm sure, embracing life in song.





Artist celebrates in stone what Tricircle Program aspires to enact in life. That within a world embraced by the Godhead of Creator, Savior and Sustainer (symbolized by the tricircle image), creation rejoices in birth, flight and song, thriving because faithful people, loving God, choose to live profitably on the earth while caring for people and planet (the 3P's, also symbolized by the tricircle image). [For more thoughts on this please read...]

And so...
...the tricircle of the divine Godhead...Father, Son and Holy Spirit...Creator, Savior and Sustainer...
...joins the tricircle of sustainable earth...people, planet, and profit...economy, ecology and equity...
...within the circle-vision of God's Kingdom that has no beginning and no end,
...to unite heaven and earth that all creation might sing.

New York - Greening the Future

New York City - Having just returned from an emerging ecovillage in South Africa that is striving to be truly committed to sustainable living, New York was a world of contrasts. Touring this world famous city took me from a world-first "green" building at Gqunube Green ecovillage (see architecture award received October 2009) to the world-first buildings of the Big Apple. And there they were in all their splendor - the Empire State Building, the New York Stock Exchange and, just up the street, Trinity Church, the only Anglican church in the U.S.A. where the Queen worships when on this side of the pond. Each building is impressive....massive edifices drawing on the very best of human skill and ingenuity in their design and construction. Each represents power...business, financial, ecclesiastical. But as symbols there was a sense each offers more of the same...a doomed way of life that would continue the world's mad race toward a future both unsustainable and inelegant in it's inability to live lightly on the earth.

New York...exciting, vibrant and glamorous in many ways, but offering more of the same...a one way ticket to a state of endless imbalance that will only cost society ever more in its' quest for a meaningful quality of life.

And then it happened. I visited a building that inspired hope and restored my faith in humanity's ingenuity and ability to change course. Here was a building that Ayn Rand herself would credit with the boldness and vision of architect Howard Roark, not because of a misguided trust in "man's" ego, but rather because of the courage the building represents to break with convention in the design of buildings that matter.

According to Wikipedia, "Hearst Tower is the first green building completed in New York City, with a number of environmental considerations built into the plan. The floor of the atrium is paved with heat conducive limestone. Polyethylene tubing is embedded under the floor and filled with water for circulating cooling in the summer and heating in the winter. Rain collected on the roof is stored in a tank in the basement for use in the cooling system, to irrigate plants and for the water sculpture in the main lobby. The building was constructed using 80% recycled steel. Overall, the building has been designed to use 25% less energy than the minimum requirements for the city of New York, and earned a gold designation from the United States Green Building Council's LEED certification program."


As the world headquarters of the Hearst Corporation, the Hearst Tower is 46 storeys of architectural inspiration. But we all know that a green building is only one of the 48 patterns making up a sustainable world. It remains to be seen how the Hearst Corporation, outside of its' green headquarters, demonstrates a commitment to the other 47 patterns in its daily business and editorial practices. Does it promote a lifestyle of living Profitably on the earth while simultaneously caring for People and Planet (3P decision making)?

In a sense perhaps the challenge is the same for both Gqunube Green and the Hearst Corporation. Both have a green building...but can both now match, and sustain, lifestyle with architecture? I hope the Tricircle Program, with gentle vigor, might facilitate this process at Gqunube Green!

Letter to Leavenworth, Washington #2

Durban, South Africa - Leaving a rugby game on the television - South Africa against New Zealand - I boarded the plane for Durban just as the Springboks had taken the lead. Clear skies offered a beautiful view of the Transkei region beneath me as I left Gqunube Green behind after a time of refreshing for my soul. The Tricircle Pavilion had truly invited me on that "journey inward" and I was able to allow God to minister to my own soul even as I was exposed again to life in a country facing so many challenges.

Having "journeyed inward" I found myself reflecting on opportunities this ecovillage offered for the "journey outward." Through the Serv-fari 2007 group from Leavenworth UMC, links had been established with the impoverished township of Mzamomhle. Since then considerable financial support from various sources has been given to CATCH, an organization doing some truly wonderful work primarily with the youth of this peri-urban area across the river from the ecovillage. This is a wonderful move that will help Gqunube Green live into its' sustainability mission - to live for profit, people and planet simultaneously (or, put another way, to invest in economic, social and ecological capital of the region at the same time).



Brianne Vincent's senior project of raising funds for CATCH by asking members of the congregation to sponsor the local Kodiak soccer team, gave me reason to visit this project once again. Doing so put me back in touch with Francis Bosman and introduced me to one of the pastors who is on CATCH's staff. Both of them are involved in food production at CATCH, something the organization would like to do more of.



On the last day of my stay at Gqunube Green, Francis and this pastor visited with me at the ecovillage, and we explored how this might happen. We are considering starting with solar cookers. The CATCH Center does regular food preparation and thought is being given to modeling cooking with solar cookers as a first step towards guaging if this technology is of interest and use to the poor folk in the township who really can't afford the high costs of electricity and kerosene. Should the technology prove useful it might be that Gqunube Green Learning Center can train a local member of the community to manufacture these solar cookers to sell to the residents of the township and so start a small business - an example of a Triple P decision as people are helped, the planet conserved and for some profit generated. In the photo above, the pastor, Alice Ford of Gqunube Green and Francis Bosman have a look at Alice's lunch cooking in the solar cooker at Gqunube Green - all driven by the sun, a free gift of God and tasty to boot.

Tuesday I fly home to Leavenworth. I'm looking forward to seeing my family and church family again. But this trip has been good and it's been valuable to link again with some amazing people and the global vision, incubating locally, of learning how we as Christians might rise to the challenges facing our one planet in the 21st century.

Oh, and it was just as well I wasn't able to watch the rugby to the final whistle. South Africa lost!

Letter to Leavenworth, Washington #1

Gqunube Green, South Africa

Hi Folks,

The journey to Gqunube Green, South Africa from Seattle, Washington was a long one. Upon arrival I hit the ground running, but not before saying hullo to my buddies (see photo at right). Much preparation needed to be done for the first Gqunube Green Gathering of future residents. Meeting, some for the first time, the residents has been a wonderful experience and I am left with the feeling that these are some amazing people with much to offer this challenging venture of establishing a village that models sustainable lifestyles.

The Sunday of the weekend was a special day because the Tricircle Pavilion was dedicated, a message given by Bishop Eric Pike, and the herd of Nguni cattle blessed as an act of thanksgiving for what they do as a land management tool to care for the ecovillage grasslands. Bishop Pikes' message was inspirational as he encouraged us to continue the work we have started. Then gathering to watch the cattle and participate in prayerfully giving thanks to God for them was an amazing experience. The photo above shows me talking to Bishop Pike and his wife, Joyce. Click on the photo and you will see two friends who are also board members of the Christian Ecovillage Trust.

Well, with the people all gone and the Gathering over I could turn to being your ambassador of Christ. Yesterday I visited CATCH in the Gonubie township and delivered the soccer shirts and cheque given to me by Brianne Vincent for this youth project. The photo shows Sue, holding up two cheques on the far right, with her team celebrating the gifts from friends who live so far away. They were so moved and appreciative of your concern and support and send you their heartfelt thanks Brianne. The second cheque is a gift from a couple who visited CATCH last year when they were here on Serv-fari 2007. Sue was most appreciative guys!

Today I meet with Debbie to give her a cheque of $427 for FLOC, a non-profit supporting terminally ill children and their families at Frere Hospital . These funds were raised by the children of Osborn Elementary who have been studying Africa this past year. They decided to raise some money to help the children of Africa and with just a jar in the library receiving donations, $427 was raised. One generous little girl emptied her "life-savings" from her piggy bank, about $70, and dropped it in. Thank you Osborn kids! Debbie says they have just bought a house which they will be using for the families of those needing to be close to their children while they receive treatment. Your donation will help make it look better.

Well, today the Village Inn has been very quiet as all the workers have been given the day off. Nobody around but me....and the wildlife have come out to play. I saw an Nyala ram (a deer), a whole troop of monkeys who are busy raiding the garden (see the rascal trying to hide from me in the above photo as he chomps on a stolen orange), and a bunch of different kinds of birds I haven't seen in a long time. It's great to know that all these creatures are resident on the ecovillage. Reminds me of the deer back home in Leavenworth. Sometimes tough to raise a garden. (I have visions of Norm Porter chasing deer away from his newly planted flowers at the front of the church).

I'm missing you all in Leavenworth. I know the Harvest Team is taking care of the Jerusalem Cross garden, Judy is holding fort in the office and that all is well in a congregation it is such a privilege to serve. Carla and I will stop by to see Tom Guthrie after I arrive back in Seattle. Please keep him in your prayers and remember to contact him and Mary. Roger

3. The Tricircle Pavilion: An Architectural Meditation on Christian Faith and Practice - Christian Practice

Three overlapping circles!
A church. A garden. And a cattle kraal -
an architectural hint, dug into the one earth we have, of an orthodoxy of practice, a One-Planet-Lifestyle, promoting profitable living while caring for planet and people.

(...being composed. Watch this space!)

2. The Tricircle Pavilion: An Architectural Meditation on Christian Faith and Practise - Christian Faith

Three circles!
A church. A garden. A cattle kraal.
An architectural reminder of the Godhead - Father, Son and Holy Spirit...Creator, Saviour, Sustainer.
An orthodoxy of belief dug into our one planet as foundation of the Christian faith.












The overlapping circles form the symbol of the fish (ichthus), three of them, silently affirming the earliest of Christian creeds..."Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour."











To open the door to this sanctuary is to put one's hand upon the rugged cross...so to touch the mystery of that which promises personal, national and global redemption, ....but not without sacrifice.











Entering, one passes beneath the word IXOYE, etched in glass, as affirmation of Emmanuel, that Word which was in the beginning, who fashioned the world and in Christ Jesus became enfleshed.










Entering...
...one finds oneself within the encircling warmth of embodied trinity, inter leading doors for exploration of the many faces of God.








Just as the three outside fish (formed by the overlap of the two outside circles and the door handles into the church from the kraal and garden) invites one on a "journey inward,"...














... so the fish on the "kraal" and "garden" doors within the sanctuary, point to the "journey outward," there to engage the planet and all its' people with the transforming embrace of God's love.












And so, the Tricircle Pavilion: An architectural meditation linking church and garden, church and cattle kraal....heaven and earth.

“I Bind Unto Myself This Day”

I bind unto myself this day
the strong name of the Trinity.

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in the hearts of all that love me,
Christ be with me this day.

From Celtic Daily Prayer - Prayers and Readings from the Northhumbria Community