How the same, simple walk can change over time. Just a short time ago, if you turned from Huber Road onto our newly constructed Manor Falls Drive, thereby entering TCP proper, you would enjoy a nice saunter through pristine woodlands, wetlands and meadows. Then, a little later, the first excavators arrived, preparing the lots for upcoming construction. Then trucks carrying Bensonwood wall and roof panels, followed by cranes assembling the house shells, followed by all the trades needed to bring the houses to a successful completion.
And now? The same walk still features the same beautiful Catskill scenery, but there are three finished houses poking out from among the trees. And you may spot one of the owners taking their mail from one of the mailboxes at the Project’s entrance, or taking recyclables to the adjacent container. In other words, our community has been born. Lots 4, 8, and 11 are occupied by both part-timers and full-timers, with Certificates of Occupancy in proud owners’ possession.
From the very beginning, we talked about how it would feel to see the first houses come to fruition. Sure, we were as excited then as we are now about the values our endeavor represents, but we also knew that they cannot be fully expressed until actual houses are occupied. And it is safe to say that the reality exceeded all our expectations. There is nothing better than the myriad of signs of actual life at TCP: neighbors saying Hello to each other, enjoying a glass of wine together, borrowing a pinch of salt at dinner time, kids laughing as they play on the community trails. One of this reporter’s favorite things is to see the houses’ lights on at night, unobtrusively pointing to the human life that has respectfully joined all the other life in the beautiful Catskill woods.
Not surprisingly, our efforts are increasingly noticed by the outside world. The established track record is generating conference speaker invitations, podcast interviews, upcoming press articles (stay tuned for when the ink is dry), and — excitingly — notable awards. Green Builder Media, LLC, a leading platform and publication in the sustainable built space, has awarded The Catskill Project with their Green Home of the Year award for 2024, in Offsite Construction. This trend-setting magazine has emphasized both the technical merits of our homes as well as the community aspect of the Project. As such our Passive House-standard homes are not only standalone achievements; they take the concept to the level of carbon-neutral community living.
The Catskill Project is not just an escape, it also represents life with others, with a minimal footprint, in concert with the surrounding environment.
Access full issue here.
Is this the true Future of Living? We certainly think so