One of my all time favorite stores in the both the actual and cyber worlds is RealGoods offering Products for an Ecologically Sustainable Future.

http://www.realgoods.com

Not only do I love their recently opened retail store in my town ( a list ), but I love what their main location represents for the 21st century retail business. They walk their talk more than any company Ive seen.

Their Hopland Solar Demonstration Center is the most amazing place to experience what balanced energy feels like in physical space. Im particularly sensitive to the energetics of space (as a former Feng Shui practitioner). It was the first business building Id ever walked into that felt clean and harmonic.

Built out of straw bale construction, the store is also directed to take full advantage of the suns maximum southeast to southwest sunlight path. In addition was aligned to the 4 directions, and creates a spiraling, sacred geometry energy pattern, radiating outward from a centerpoint.

Man-made streams meander down to irrigation ponds filled with pristine water. The whole site is powered by a combination of solar and wind power. Basically they took unwanted land, that was once a dump site, and transformed it into a sacred space.

http://www.solarliving.org/index.cfm

The Institute holds Workshops & Events...

http://www.solarliving.org/workshops.cfm

Details on the building design...

http://www.solarliving.org/overview.cfm

And definitely look at the larger aerial view.

Love this place!

Diane

-- Anonymous, February 15, 2000

Answers

Related thread...

Institute for Solar Living 2000 Workshops--Examples: Hydroelectric Design & Installation, Building with Bamboo, Sustainable Planning & Design, Natural Plastering, Strawbale Construction, Green Householder, etc., etc. (California)
http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id= 002aII

-- Anonymous, February 17, 2000