This project embraces the power of collaboration, equitable living and community practices grounded in a new way of listening with care to one another.

Vision

We are planting seeds for an intergenerational microvillage in Winston Salem!

Grounded in a commitment to exceptional communication and mutual aid, we can co-create a way of being at home, work and play that is connected and sustainable.

Designing and Planning

This moel shows a minor subdivision of the 7.4 acre property that currently has 1 house into 4 parcels.

Each of the 3 new lots will host a house and an ADU on Wexford Road
The existing home will be remain as is, with a new ADU behind

The people who live here will share the remaining field and forest for growing food, supporting native palnts, and being good neighbors.

What are we building?

House Style: Mix of unit sizes to support diversity
Style: Homey, earthy, sustainable sturdy “right sized” homes.
Land Use: Permaculture design to maximize people and place connections; minimize driveways and garages, reclaiming space for shared areas.
Shared Resources Art studio, gardens, and sustainable features (e.g., solar, water reclamation). After housing, we will repair the old barn as another shared resources - available for shared use daycare/homeschool during the day, meetings in the evenings and community gatherings.

Timeline

Under way

Civil Engineering and permits to subdivide the land - an essential step for housing permits.
Design: Triage which projects to start first, break ground and get started!
Land-work to prepare for housing, gardens and food forest. Remove invasive species and begin soil building
Community Care - Book Club, Fire Circles, Vision Boarding, other opportunities to participate in the pre-build "dream and seed" phases
Community Operations - Development and acceptance of foundational community guidelines
Financial & Legal Model research

Past Milestones

February 2025 Property acquired, Existing Conditions and Cul de Sac subdivision concepts drawings completed by Allied Land Survey and Design

Throughout 2025 Weekly or biweekly "Village Dreamer" calls to dream together, learn things, provide feedback on designs

February-May 2025 House improvements to existing single family farmhouse; first residents move into sin

March 2025 Sketch Plan Meeting with City to get feedback on subdivision plan

Spring-Summer 2025 Landmates begin field work, planting, solar installation to irrigate from the creek

July 2025 Design Kick Off Meeting, Formal Survey completed

September 2025 First conceptual drawings provided based on zone review completed by Root Down Design & Communitecture

Fall 2025 Iterative design based on conceptual drawings, dreamer input

Fall 2025 Monday Radical Book Cub begins

October 2025 Application for grant to create fiber/dyes garden, First formal Dreamers Fire Gathering Event

November 2025 Sketch Plan Meeting with City to get feedback on new masterplan - advice is to generate a subdivision application that includes a comprehensive residential infrastructure plan. This will likely take civil engineers 2-4 months to complete

November 2025 First formal Friends Gathering event

What is a Sketch Plan Meeting?

At any stage, City Planners will allow a sketch plan meeting to provide feedback on the designs. We use this to refine and prepare to formal permit applications with the city. It is a free service supported by the planning department to reduce delays in permitting process.

Land

The property is 7.46 acres in Winston Salem off Jonestown road. It has fields, forest, a farmhouse and 2 other buildings. It is in a suburban area of the city that is being taken over and developed with high density single family homes. It is at the end of a road, abutting some flood land that will likely stay un-developed, a set of agricultural lots, and urban multifamily developments.
The plan is to develop housing and parking near the road, build a common house and leave much of the land as gardens and other shared amenities.

Seed Team & Landmates

Instigator: Rayellen Kishbach

Village Historian (& future resident): Kay Endress, Winston Salem

Circle Tenders: Quanta & Brian "Cutty" Cutler

Village Elder (& Jack Of All Trades, seasonal resident): Ray Kishbach

Dinosaur Village Mom (& future resident): Becka Stone

Land Projects Team: Taylor Marshall, Mason Stevens, Riley Oaks, Michelle Boutazarm, Miles Rose

Community Operations Consultant: Chloe Buzzotta Whole Systems Network & Common Futures

Collaborator: Leonie Brien

Realtor: Donna Claytor

Design Team

Mark Lakeman, founder of Communitecture Architecture and the City Repair Project
Vale Larson-Brasted, Architect Communitecture
April Magill, Executive Director Root Down Building Collective

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Olamina Microvillage