so what are we doing here?..
a question that has plagued humankind since the beginning of time. trying to make meaning of it all. since the days of oral tradition, myths and folk tales, we have used storytelling and creativity to try to find our place in the complexity that surrounds us.
while i could go on with my best impressions of decartes and alan watts, i will spare you my philosophies on the wonders of the universe and instead focus on what we are doing here at SMDH…
to be honest, i feel like that’s complex enough.
a good place to start is with the mission, which is to use research and design to encourage innovation in harmony with nature, and to foster a culture of creativity, commmunity, and collaboration.
we intentionally chose to position ourselves as a research and design association because research and design are arguably the broadest possible focuses an organization can have. in other words, we wanted to ensure our reach could be as wide as possible in terms of the types of projects we could take on.
with that being said, we also realized that an association of specialists assembled with common values and goals could not only take on a myriad of projects on a contract basis (see pentagram), but could innovate amongst themselves to create new products and services that can serve their communities and even help them reach new communities.
this has been an interesting project to pursue because it’s almost like a chicken and the egg situation. in some ways, the benefits of the community are derived from the community, so therefore, unless people join the community, it could be said that there is limited value, in which case, why would one join said community?
this is why we decided there must be inhouse projects. things that the house will pursue regardless of any contract work or whether anyone else joins or not. these projects are reflective of the skills and interest of the house’s founding members, centering around artificial intelligence and techology, community health & wellness, and ecological sustainability.
by developing products, putting on events, and producing media content, the house is designed to be able to eventually sustain itself without the investment or support of external parties (not to say we don’t want it!)
“We envision a world
made better by design…”
We envision a world made better by design.
A world where synergy is sought out and facilitated
where efficiency is encouraged
where sustainability is the standard (and regeneration is the real goal)
where creativity, community and collaboration are cultivated.
A world where the future is made brighter
by dreamers and doers alike,
together
for generations to come…
source and location unknown
to bring our vision from the clouds to the dirt, in other words, to make it more tangible, we want to build sustainable, intentional, walkable local communities. in the same way the industrial revolution called us to city life, we are spearheading a new revolution to take us back home to nature.
not to abandon the comfort and perks of the modern world, but to build creatively in a way that grants us the luxuries we desire without the harms and disrespect to our home planet.
we want to work with the worlds brightest architects, artists, engineers, material developers, designers and creators to develop a new hardware update for social spaces. we believe that creating intentional physical environments that encourage a sense of community will ultimately strengthen the fabric of our global society.
“whoever controls the media
controls the mind...”
calling back to the ways of our ancestors… we are storytelling, aiming to change the frequency that the masses are tuned into. we understand the importance of media. the late jim morrison once said “whoever controls the media controls the mind.” (and frankly, he was spittin’)
in a world of fake news and ai generated propaganda. empty lyrics and hollow plots. low quality, low vibrational entertainment. we recognize that now, perhaps more than ever, people need real, meaningful and inspiring stories and art to change the narrative and elevate the collective consciousness.
ultimately, we are looking to build with innovators and creatives across mediums and disciplines to upgrade the software of human culture toward a more collaborative, humble and intentional harmony with the earth and with each other.
our vision of true health and wellness manifests at the individual and community level.
there are quotes from astronauts that call us to treat mother earth like mothership. a craft floating through space that we all are crew members of. understanding that our fate is united; and bleak if we cannot work together effectively.
i don’t know about you, but it feels wrong to me to keep leaving the next generation an overheating, politically torn spacecraft for them to try and patch together. we can no longer accept thinking that what has gotten us to this point will take us where we need to be. its time for change.
let’s leave the next generation a planet to be proud of…
