The Project TriStar community embodies the true nature of community and communal living. This means that the community members understand that humans are communal beings who grow and expand from interaction with one another. This social philosophy also includes an understanding that everyone needs both their space and their quiet time and that these periods are natural and provide their own experiential knowledge.
The Project TriStar community and living quarters are designed with this philosophy in mind. The community provides everything from meditation and exercise rooms to common areas and living quarters. All designed around the basic concept that both individual and mutual experiences produce opportunities for expansion through experiential learning. As such, it's not intended that community members spend excessive time in their living quarters, but rather that they participate in the community operations and activities and use the living quarters for what they are intended; for sleeping.
The subterranean construction of the Project TriStar community also presents the need and desire for optimization of space and efficiency. It's also understood that the subterranean construction is intended to provide safety and shelter for an extended period of time as necessary and that community living may take on a different look and feel once the above ground concerns have pased. The living quarters are designed with consideration of both the social philosophy and the subterranean construction.
Due to the nature of the construction, member living and sleeping quarters are primarily to accommodate sleeping, storage of clothes, and other small personal items. The space in all other areas of the community is optimized for specific functions to support the community operation and lifestyle. Therefore, it is essential that community members be prepared to live, sleep and work in closer proximity to one another than they may have experienced prior to entering the community.
The member living quarters are located in close proximity to one another to enhance the community living experience and in close proximity to the bathrooms and showers. Each living quarter is equipped with individual lighting, beds, and solid insulated walls for privacy. In order to accommodate the diversity of community members, living quarters are divided into two different types to accommodate families and individuals.
Each room of the living quarters is designed to accommodate up to four community members. The below image does not represent the actual design of a family living quarters, however, it does provide a representation of the approximate size and one possible layout.
In the above example, you can see that there are two double bunk beds, storage space under the beds and on the adjacent walls, and a small desk area. In the case of the individual living quarters, there are two single bunk beds on the left and two single bunk beds on the right as you enter your living quarter. Storage is under the beds with a desk and more storage between the beds and against the far wall. From these explanations, one can see that the Project TriStar community living quarters might be similar to student housing at a college or boarding school.
The family living quarters are designed for parents with children or multiple couples. In other words, due to space limitations and the need for efficiency, no couple will occupy a family living quarter by themselves unless under a temporary arrangement while awaiting the arrival of new occupants. This design is also meant for parents with young children to occupy the same living quarter. In the case of parents with grown children, the children may either occupy the same family living quarter with their parents or move to an individual living quarter with other single members. The third arrangement is when a family living quarter is occupied by two separate married couples.
The individual living quarters are obviously designed for those members who are not married and are mature enough to operate on their own. The individual living quarters are gender specific for occupancy by women or men only. Men and women do not occupy the same individual living quarter.
Special arrangements are made where young children have been admitted into the Project TriStar community without their parents. Depending on the individual circumstances, these children may be assigned to either a family or individual living quarter. In either case, Project TriStar will assign an adult chaperon to supervise the children and in some cases occupy the same living quarter to ensure that young children and children with special needs are cared for in the manner necessary.
The location of a member living quarters within the community is coordinated by the membership committee. Before assigning a living quarter to a member, the committee takes into account the member family size, work assignment, member preference, and any other special circumstances that may be relevant.
Bathroom, sink, and shower facilities are located directly adjacent to the living quarters area and still central for easy access. This provides efficient placement for construction and maintenance and practical access from any part of the community. Due to cost, efficiency, and maintenance issues, there is no plumbing in the individual or family living quarters.
All bathrooms contain sinks and are designed in a corporate or municipal fashion with toilet stalls for privacy. Showers and changing rooms are gender specific and do not contain any locked, secured, or private storage. All personal items are to be stored in the living quarters.
Due to space limitations, efficiency, and necessity, clothes and personal items are limited for each community member. Each member is allowed up to two suitcases of dimension and weight similar to the standards used in the airline industry. The suitcase size and weight allowances and all other considerations related to acceptable or non-acceptable personal items is handled by the membership committee and listed in the Project TriStar Member Handbook.
Each living quarter contains nominal storage for clothes, sundries, and small personal items. There is no room in the living quarters, community, or storage for any member to bring furniture or any other personal items that do not fit in their suitcase. If a member has any item that may not fit in their suitcase, but that may have use in the community, the member should relay that information to the membership committee who will determine if there is justification for entry of the item into the community plan.
Living quarters are designed with capacity, admittance of new members, and reproductive expansion in mind. There is a built-in vacancy within the living quarters planning to allow for natural growth of the community during the relatively short-term in which the subterranean structure is deemed necessary, desired, and suitable for member occupancy. This means that some living quarters may remain vacant until needed or only partially filled until the remaining space is occupied by another member of the community. Member living quarters may also be changed where special considerations arise and/or a family expands beyond their current living space.
Why no personal housing and only 2 suitcases each?
As a conscious sustainable community, the communal living environment is designed to bring people closer together both physically and consciously. Due to a variety of issues, no adobe or other type of personal domiciles will be built above ground until we have concluded the potential for above ground risks have passed. This means the only living arrangement will be underground for some unspecified time.
The communal living arrangement of the underground facility serves several purposes. The first is related to practicality with costs and efficiency for such a large undertaking. Second, the close proximity to one another will help people through the process of letting go of their lifetime programming of separateness and to reconnect with people on deeper levels. Third is the fact that this community and the future of humanity is only successful if we are able to release our attachment to material possessions and learn to harmonize with natural laws again. As a conscious community based on natural and universal laws, there is no need for attachment to stuff.
Therefore, the requirement of only two suitcases per person is for both practical and spiritual purposes. Practical in the limited space that can be provided to each member of the community. Spiritual because we are attempting to start over with a mindset that everyone is equal, that everyone is working through their need for attachment to material possession, and that everyone is working to heal and transcend their need to have something more or better than others.
There may be some who believe they can maintain a bank account and store their stuff to retrieve after the coming events. This belief is not in alignment with the intent and opportunity of Project TriStar and all we can hope is that people have evolved past these attachments prior to applying for membership. Project TriStar is not about going back to the same lifestyle after the potential events. Project TriStar is about creating a new paradigm of mutual coexistence and leaving the old paradigm behind.
We understand that Project TriStar is a huge leap in community as it supports the continuous evolution of every member to become aware, address, and heal through generations of distorted programming of why we are here and how we can coexist without money, possessions, and attachment. We also realize this step out of society, into a spiritual existence, and back to nature is not for everyone.
The orientation program will provide an opportunity for members to experience and test their resolve before entering the actual community location. Members will remain in the orientation program until they have dealt with their transition issues. We are well aware that some people may believe they are ready, but they may change their mind once they experience this lifestyle first hand. As such, we know that some will choose to leave the orientation program and seek another option.
After the potential above ground risks have passed, everything will be re-established above ground again. Some of this process can only be planned while others can only be estimated. The community design and building materials can be planned, however, the intent of remaining a cohesive community can only be suggested as mutually voluntary. Without personal ownership of resources, the process of rebuilding will become mutually agreed for the benefit of everyone. At that time, those who choose separateness over community may wish to leave the Project TriStar environment.