As Sustainabilty becomes a more and more common concept its application to 'everything' will become evident. By everything I mean all aspects of life; starting with each of us as individuals. It is now well known that the healthiest human beings have a strong sense their own 'sustainability' without the need to exploit others. Human development experts tell us that families and organizations must be comprised of 'healed' individuals who are not forced to engage in borrowing or stealing their needs from other members of the group. Anything less than this results in interpersonal politics that is full of games and deception. Healthy people do not desparately need the approval or the resouces of their peers or family members to feel whole and at peace. These individuals are moving toward a model of 'sustainabilty'.

The built environment is the 'stage' on which our lives are played out. Whether it be a house or a place of work, these environments are where we interact, form our relationships and persue our dreams. The backdrop of our homes is where we learn to love life, love ourselves and love each other. This results in self-sustaining people, thus, the built environment must support their activities by setting the same example.

At Moderna, the homes embrace these truths. Sustainability could just be the most important concept of the 21st century, especially when applied in a comprehensive way to all human activities.

The Miller House Museum and its design embody the spirit of the artistic painter through its composition and use of color. Jose Oubrerie is himself a painter and a colorist. When these abilities are brought to a work of Architecture the resulting building is fused with a sense of gesture and motion that can be associated with the artist's brushstroke. The Miller House contains many surfaces that seem to be set in motion by their relationship to each other and by the careful use of colored surfaces. For the visitor, there is a constant invitation to view a particular composition in the distance and to watch that ensemble of elements move dynamically as the eye scans across the spaces. The Cubist roots of Mr. Oubrerie are evident in all directions as one walks across the open bridges that connect the upper levels of the house.

Because the Miller House will be the venue for design meetings with the Moderna homebuyers, the Design team and the owners will be constantly encouraged to reach beyond the obvious for each plan design. There will be no attempt to mimic these elements exactly but, rather, the opportunity to use the spirit of the Miller building as an inspiration for each owner's visionary design. It will provide an exquisite backdrop for the homebuyer's education into the world of modern architecture.

At Moderna, we are promoting the certification of each house under the LEED guidelines for sustainable construction. The LEED program is administered by the U.S. Green Building Council. The program provides the framework for design and construction using practical techniques for acheiving sustainable, low-impact buildings. The LEED program does not, however, define a particular style that could be labeled as 'green'. Although the popular perception may be otherwise, there is no prescribed 'green' style of image and appearance mandated by LEED.

Yes, it is possible to design a mundane and dispirited house that is otherwise deemed 'sustainable'.

So..........the elusive artistic process of the designer and the architect are still required to elevate the building beyond mere shelter. Issues of spacial quality, material character, poetic admission of sunlight and the hidden cultural narrative of the design are all beyond the 'cookbook'  of any checklist of green features. Architecture, the activity that drives the efficiency experts crazy, still has to assert its intuitive, sometimes circular process in order to acheive a truly inspiring house design.

The Moderna Architects Collaborative is the steward of this architectural process. Because the Miller Museum building contains the ideals of deeply imaginative design, the Moderna homeowner will have the benefit of the Miller House providing a constant reminder to the architects of what is possible and a standing invitation to take each individual design to the next level (and beyond).

" There is also an added sense of urgency here. The transformation of human consciousness is no longer a luxury, so to speak, available only to a few isolated individuals, but a necessity if humankind is not to destroy itself. At the present time, the disfunction of the old consciousness and the arising of the new are both accelerating. Paradoxically, things are getting worse and better at the same time, although the worse is more apparent because it makes so much 'noise'. "     Eckhart Tolle

The Moderna Community aspires to a new consciousness. By transforming the 'old school' land- development that surrounded the Miller House, the Moderna vision of art and nature embodies a new way of living. Instead of houses as 'trophies' acquired to show off American success, the Moderna home creates the backdrop of a life well-lived. Residents can experience the benefits of living in a garden-like setting while receiving the enrichment of the Miller Museum as the community's cultural center.

Most importantly, each resident is given the peace and quiet to culivate their own creativity. By living each day in a beautifully crafted environment, the true rewards of life have the space needed to present themselves. The Miller Museum is sponsoring on-going cultural events such as art exhibits, music concerts and educational seminars.

'Green' building is not a passing fad or gimmick. Moderna is offering an environment of sustainable homes and the backdrop for cultivating a 'sustainable' personal life for each member of the community.