Update on Proposed Panther Branch Residential Facility

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Over the past few months we've been designing a building complex that would help us with a broad range of our growing needs at Panther Branch.At the forefront is the clear need for more sleeping space for sesshin and workshop participants.We're also in need of more living space for those who would like to participate in training programs, as well as for couples, and others who wish to make a long-term residential commitment to the Windhorse community. While tenting can be a good option for much of the year, it doesn't work during the winter, and it isn't for everyone.

Our current plan calls for constructing a central, multi-use building of approximately 1000 sq. ft, and then two smaller buildings, one on either side of the first. These buildings together would be able to accommodate quite a number of people, and we would design them to be used in various ways, e.g. for sesshin, workshops, staff housing, and counseling. With the near-perfect solar orientation of this property, we are fortunate to have many options for solar design; and we’re looking into straw bale construction and radiant floor heating.

In the process of trying to find the best site for these buildings, we've been working to come up with a long-term site plan for the entire property (one that would include a considerably larger zendo). With the expert counsel of a local Dharma friend, Bill Fleming of ShelterTech, we’re working on a multi-stage, central-heating system that is able to use wood, solar energy, and natural gas.Such a set-up would pay for itself within 10 to 12 years; it could provide heating for all new construction, and would allow us to replace our present system of inefficient, all-electric furnaces.

Our goal is to be able to provide as much as 80% of our energy needs within 5 years, freeing us from much of our highly-polluting electrical usage and older heating technology. In the future we could even grow and harvest our own wood supply by planting fast-growing hybrid poplars. Ultimately, this system could also make use of photoelectric panels that would get us completely ‘off the grid.’

At this point, Windhorse has received a pledge for a generous donation that will help us with the initial phase of this project, allowing us to start construction on the first of the three buildings mentioned above. We’re looking for other funding as well, and are in the process of applying for low-interest state loans now available to help people create new energy-saving structures, as well as for retrofitting existing buildings with more efficient systems.

As Windhorse evolves, we see the potential for establishing a training center that fully integrates green building design, sustainable energy use, and organic gardening, all within the context of community Dharma practice. Such a place would not only serve the needs of our own group, but could also provide a model of change for others. It will of course take years to pull this off, but we feel it’s a worthy challenge, and are committed to doing whatever we can to make it a reality.