November/December Progress Report

With the cold weather at our shoulders, the Academy is still making great progress on our new home.

All the sites have been prepared, footings have been poured in concrete, more walls have been constructed and trenches for utilities have been dug.

These last two months have seen a great deal of underground preparation. We are almost done with the geothermal wells and the tubing run in each well is being connected and will eventually run through trenches to all three of our new buildings. We have a main artery system so to speak, that is 6 feet wide by 6 feet deep. This deep trench runs underground between our three buildings. All of the Academy’s nerve system will be laid in this deep trench. We will be interconnected for our sources of electricity, photovoltaic, heating and cooling, computer and data, water, and conduit for roof runoff to underground cisterns.

We have also poured the footings for our bridge! The bridge will cross the arroyo and serve as the main entrance to the Academy.

We still have months to go before we move in, but we can actually feel the buildings rise and see them in relationship to each other and the environment. It is really very moving.

Some conduit for plumbing in our center being laid.
This is for the downstairs restrooms off the entry.

The 6 feet wide by 6 feet deep trench being dug.
This trench will run between our three buildings.
Conduit will be laid and buried to connect all our buildings for power and utilities.

All the geothermal tubing will be tied together to heat and cool our buildings.

Footings being poured in our caretaker's/guest quarters.

The footings in the caretaker's/guest quarters have been poured the wood forms pulled off.

The insulated concrete forms have been laid on top of the concrete footers.
These white forms will then have adobe walls set above.
The whole caretaker's/guest quarters will then be finished in adobe.

The footings for the bridge crossing the arroyo have been poured.
We will have a new way to enter the Academy home.
The bridge should be constructed in the next couple months