Sustainable Systems Designs
Habitats for the 3rd Millenium
Finally, you can have a home and community that is designed to operate as a self-sustaining, integrated system that works in harmony and balance with the environment instead of against it.
We can help you achieve a more self-sufficient lifestyle whether you are just trying to become more self-reliant, to get "off the grid" or to enhance the quality of life in your community.
What We Do
As our name conveys, we take a systems approach to everything we do. We believe that by carefully choosing which projects are undertaken and by making better use of what you have and what you generate or produce, you can minimize the ongoing need to continually acquire additional resources.
Regardless of the project you select us to assist you with, we always start by asking our custom product and consulting services clients for some confidential data and information from you about the project you have in mind, projects that you've already completed, future projects that you are considering for the future and about the location where that project will be accomplished.
For agricultural and alternative utility projects, we will use your data to generate an evaluation report which examines climate, seismic, solar, wind and/or other relevant environmental conditions.
For small business projects, the process includes the production of a business plan (if you do not already have one) that, in general, serves the same purpose.
We will then use that report to help establish the appropriate specifications for your project and suggestions on how to integrate it into other projects that you may already be doing or that you may be planning.
NOTE: Sustainable Systems Designs does not and will not provide architectural or engineering services to the public.
Products and Services
In order to serve our clients at a minimal cost and in a minimum amount of time, our products and services are generally delivered via the internet and by email.
Our primary offerings include:
Alternative and Sustainable Agriculture
Whether you rent an apartment or live in a rural home on large acreage in a remote location, our focus is on helping you to meet your own specific individual agricultural needs.
We offer a wide range of stock 'how-to' manuals which can help guide you in finding that right mix of animals to raise or in learning how to most efficiently plant, grow and harvest your own fruit, herbs and vegetables.
We also offer a wide variety of stock concept designs and construction plans for all types of farm and garden structures. Plans range from animal feeders and shelters to composting and vermiculture systems to grow boxes, greenhouses and gardening systems that will work in some of the most extreme environments.
If you take advantage of our customized product and consulting services, we will produce an agricultural plan that will be uniquely designed to help you to feed yourself and your family. Your custom plan will include specific recommendations, personalized versions of our stock product offerings and other documentation that address your specific needs and that account for your local environmental conditions.
Please contact us to discuss how we can best help you develop a sustainable agricultural project.
Alternative Utilities
Alternative Power Systems
Solar? Wind? Small Hydro-electric? Bio-gas powered generators? A combination? There are many options out there, but not all of them will optimally work in all areas. By carefully selecting the most appropriate alternative power system based on the resources available in your precise location, those high electric utility bills can become a thing of the past.
Here's an example system diagram
Alternative Waste and Wastewater Systems
We offer a variety of different information and plans for a variety of different composting toilets and water-saving grey-water systems that can keep the environment clean and your landscaping green and blooming.
Please note that many jurisdictions require a legal permit for all waste disposal systems, including composting toilets and/or grey-water systems. Therefore, we can not and will not sell construction plans for these systems in jurisdictions which do not exempt them. For customers in all such jurisdictions, we will provide concept plans which will bear a notation that they are not for construction and that Sustainable Systems Designs is not and can not be held to be legally liable if you fail to have the plans properly evaluated in accordance with your state laws and local ordinances and the system legally permitted prior to construction.
We will, however, provide construction plans for composting toilets and/or grey-water systems to customers living in jurisdictions which exempt them from the review, evaluation and permitting process. Sustainable Systems Designs will verify the nature and details of the exemption prior to processing the order for the plans. Construction plans will contain a notation that the plans are distributed in accordance with the specified exemption granted under the customer's state laws and local ordinances and that the depicted system is legally-exempt from a construction and use permit. The customer will also be authorized and licensed to construct a specific number of projects at one or more specified locations.
Composting Systems
We offer several 'how-to' manuals and documents as well as concept and construction plans for a variety of different composting systems that can reduce or eliminate the amount of organic material entering a landfill while keeping your lawn green and your garden or greenhouse blooming -- summer or winter.
Please contact us to discuss if and how we can best help you meet your alternative utility project needs.
Other Self-Sufficiency Projects
Our staff and associates also have experience in a wide range of other self-sufficiency topics and issues. If you need help to achieve a self-sufficiency goal that you do not see listed above, please contact us to discuss if and how we can best help you.
Please note that, if after reviewing your inquiry, we determine that we are not qualified to address your specific need, we promise to do our best to refer you to someone we feel is qualified to do so.
Other Products and Services
We also offer:
Sustainable Home Design and Construction Referrals
Not everyone wants to live in a 'cookie cutter' house that looks like what everyone else lives in. Many are looking for a home that exists in harmony and balance with nature. Many are looking for one that reflects its owner's individual sense of aesthetics. Perhaps the owner needs a home that is extremely energy efficient and/or easy to maintain. Whether the unique place you want to create is a single- or multi-family home or even if you are looking to re-invision an entire community, we can help you to connect with professionals who are qualified to address your specific needs.
Sustainable Systems Designs can refer you to experienced engineers, builders and designers who have created living spaces that actually do work with the Earth and our environment, not just pay lip service to it. One of our most popular choices are geodesic domes. Other options include homes that are built out of compressed earth blocks, cob, strawbale recycled lumber and/or the use of other natural and sustainable building products.
Please contact us to discuss how we can best help you to attain your dream of building your own home.
Small Business Planning and Development
We are also dedicated to helping you to personally become self-sustaining! Are you tired of making money for other people? Do you have a better way of doing something? Have you ever dreamed about saying goodbye to the rat race and become your own boss? Then it's time to become the master of your own destiny. Let us help you to create that perfect small business that you've always wanted to start.
Please contact us to discuss if and how we can best help you start or improve upon your own small business enterprise.
Sustainable Systems Magazine
To help you keep up to date on the latest news and information about our company and about topics and issues of interest to our clients and customers, we are creating Sustainable Systems Magazine. We're using the "blog" format so we can update quickly and often. Subscriptions and access to content will be absolutely free.
Special Projects
We have partnered with International Aboriginal Ministries to offer access to all of our products and services at absolutely no cost to partners and participants in the Earth Mother Renewal Project. It is our goal to assist IAM in helping native and aboriginal communities to become more self-sufficient. Please contact IAM for more information.
Join our Referral Network
If you are a sales and services company or are a builder, designer or engineer specializing in any of the alternative/sustainable areas listed above and are interested in participating in our referral network, please contact us.