A sustainable community living in dignity and joy - growing food, filtering water, and building resilience together
Explore the Vision"Bought the Farm" is the anti-techbro utopia — a place where the same skyscraper that could've housed lawyers and hedge fund ghouls now grows food, filters water, and houses a community in dignity and joy. No investors, no pitch decks. Just a whole building full of "yes."
We aim to use the Sherman Clay Building as a closed-loop micro-community, achieving ~80–90% self-sufficiency long term, with room for evolution into solarpunk infrastructure later.
Before we can even begin to comprehend the idea of a rocket, some brave soul first had to look up at the moon and say: Yes, we can be there. They burned these people for all of history. It was only 50 years ago. Humanity did tread that lunar surface. 50 years, vs 10,000+ years of human history. What is your moon dream? Can you envision one small tiny step toward that dream? Can you find the courage and fortitude to take it?
A place where neighbors support each other, share resources, and build meaningful relationships.
Closed-loop systems for food, water, and energy that minimize waste and environmental impact.
Spaces designed for joy, dignity, and wellbeing rather than profit maximization.
Case Study: Sherman Clay Building – Located in San Francisco, this historic building is transforming into a model of sustainable urban living.
Building Overview:
Total Floors: 11 (we'll plan for 10)
Typical Floorplate: ~10,000–12,000 sqft
Total Usable Space: ~100,000–120,000 sqft
We'll assume 100,000 sqft for ease of planning.
Turning a commercial building into a self-sufficient community hub that demonstrates sustainable urban living.
Integrating food production, water recycling, and waste management within the building itself.
Designed for approximately 80 residents to maintain community intimacy while maximizing efficiency.
Mess hall, kitchen, community meeting space
Rainwater collection, filtration, shared facilities
Lettuce, kale, spinach, herbs, microgreens
Tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, mushrooms
Insect farming, algae tanks, climate storage
Clinic, meditation, sensory decompression
Workshop, shared desks, tool library
Art room, music space, games, reading
Co-housing pods, shared apartments
Private micro-apartments, sound-insulated
Two floors dedicated to growing fresh, nutritious food year-round using vertical farming techniques.
Rainwater harvesting and purification systems providing water for the entire community.
Floors dedicated to health, work, education, and recreation to nurture community wellbeing.
Diverse housing options that balance privacy with community connection.
We're creating a truly sustainable community that balances human needs with environmental responsibility.
Calories/day: ~160,000 total
We can reasonably supply 70–80% of daily caloric intake on-site
Water/day: ~100 gallons/person = 8,000 gallons/day
Rainwater harvesting in SF (~24" avg rainfall) can cover a good chunk with proper rooftop storage (~50k–100k gallon cisterns)
We're creating a community where people can live in joy and dignity - growing their own food, filtering their own water, and building meaningful connections. Free from the grind, full of "yes."
Learn How to Get Involved