NEST

E.A.T. Permaculture Design Certi cate Final Project

Kim Bick-Maurischat, Ti any Judkins & Victoria Scott — 2021

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 NEST - Site & Design Team
65 South 7th Street, San Jose, CA
• Situated of the occupied ancestral homeland of the Tamien Ohlone

• Kim Bick-Maurischat (SJ) — Property Guardian, energy systems and

landscape design.

• Ti any Judkins (LA) — Social permaculture design and interior spaces.

• Victoria Scott (SF) — Site analysis, 2D & 3D site design and renderings.
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NEST - Objectives
Housing and Teaching

• Providing temporary housing for young self-identi ed women re-entering

society after incarceration, and their children.

• Our residential space provides space for 3 families (3 mothers with one child
each).

• The site is a teaching garden and workspace nurturing entrepreneurial and

social development for these families and neighboring community.

• Once a church sanctuary, the communal space will also serve as a meeting
room, workshop, o ce space and small commercial kitchen teaching
sustainable skills.
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 NEST - Objectives
Housing and Teaching

• Transforming the drawbacks of this high tra c location into an easy and sustainable model of
permaculture living.

• Provide safe transitional housing for self-identifying formerly incarcerated women and their
children.

• Create an urban garden space that supports healthy intentional small artisan businesses.

• Garden space that is functional, serene and provides an opportunity to re-orient residents to
the elements of the earth.

• Functional workspace. Space that encourages conversation and interaction. Bu er street noise

• Space that encourages conversation and interaction.

• Bu er street noise.
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NEST - Social Programs
Garden and Nutrition

• Residents and participants will learn to grow food, the importance of good
nutrition and healthy cooking skills.

• The garden program is low cost and sustainable by the chickens, worm bin
and compost.
NEST - Social Programs
Entrepreneurial Development

• Participants learn to harvest, dry, package and market herbs/produce grown on site,
plan and operate a for-pro t business that distributes artisanal goods from our mini-
farm sites to area restaurants and markets.

• Along with farming and marketing skills, participants develop leadership skills by
training the next cohort entering the program.

• Herbal soaps, teas and bath salts are among items grown, processed and sold.

• Monies from sales go back into the business and support a stipend for the participants.

• Program will be led by Business Consultant (San Jose State graduate student or
community member). They will be on site 2x-3x/week to guide participants in business
development.
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 NEST - Social Programs
Multigenerational Life Skills

• Brings together self-identifying women and mothers of every generation in our

community space for talks and craft projects.

• While the women work together they come to know each other and discuss
life issues. This is an informal setting to discuss relationships and current
events. Here, the women build bonds and come to rely on each other.

• There are scheduled formal talks on healthcare, motherhood, personal

nance, and more.
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NEST - Site Analysis
65 South 7th Street, San Jose, CA
• The site is 136’ x 64’

• 100 year old former church (street-facing building)

and existing 3-bedroom residence and kitchen at
the back of the property.

• On a busy, noisy downtown tra c corridor, with

high drug use and homelessness.

• Landmark status tree in driveway that can’t be

moved.

• Shares a wall with the loading dock of a large

grocery store.

• Walking distance to an elementary school, several

transit lines, SJSU, SJ Peace and Justice Center,
and City Hall.
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NEST - Base Map
Current Site
NEST - Base Map
Zone Analysis
NEST - Base Map
Sector Analysis
NEST - Design
Overview
NEST - Design
Interior Work and Meeting Space

• Public facing seating and library

space for community talks &
lectures.

• Workspace and storage for making

the commercial products using
materials from the garden.

• Small commercial kitchen (existing).

NEST - Design
System Details — Water Usage & Harvesting

• This site, being in Northern California, is in a high-risk drought zone.

• The rainfall average has been projected to be 14.9 in annually.

• Currently at the end of the rainy season in April, San Jose, Ca is at 37% of
normal.

• Rainwater Harvesting and greywater systems are critical elements to nancial

and environmental sustainability of this site.

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NEST - Design
System Details — Residential Water

• The residential apartments will house a maximum of 8 people (3 adults, 5

children).

• The annual water usage from both Kitchen and Bathroom use is approx. 568
gal a day/17,264 month/207,320 annually.

• Family laundry use is projected to be 135 gal per week 7,020 annually (3
loads each per family).

• A greywater system will be installed to nourish the cutting garden, Earth & Air
fruit tree guilds.
NEST - Design
System Details — Rainwater System

• The Church building can potentially collect 19,793 gal of rainwater annually.

• The residential building can potentially collect 12,030 gal of rainwater

annually.

• Rainwater collection units will be installed along the NW sides of the 2

buildings supplying an additional 15,000 gallons of water to the seasonal
beds.
 NEST - Plant Guilds
Appendix to Site Design Map
• 1) Straw Bale Landscape Sound/Heat Insulation Wall

• 2) Culinary Herb Spiral

• 3) Medicinal Herb Spiral

• 4) Cutting Garden

• 5) Fire Guild: espalier Apple Trees create Children’s Play Hut with
sun owers, mint & chamomile.

• 6) Air Guild: Espalier Lemon & Tangerine Trees against fence soften
edge to adjacent parking lot Keyhole seasonal beds.

• 7) Earth Guild: Espalier Pomegranate & Avocado Trees against fence

provide privacy to adjacent apartment bldg Keyhole seasonal beds
(details to follow)

• 8) Water Guild: Flow Form Spiral and water plants.

• 9) Tamien-Ohlone Guild: Native plants bridge the past to the present

& high tra c area to the private residential area

• 10) Pleasure Guild: Espalier Grapes and Roses with keyhole

seasonal beds
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NEST - Budget
Site Budget - 150K

• Hardscaping and features: 30K

(Pizza/Bread ovenBrick Grill & Counter, Tables & Cob Benches, Greenhouse, GateFencing,
Storage Sheds, Rain & Greywater Barrels & Hoses, Compost Containers, Raised Plant Beds
and Containers, Arbor & Sun/Rain Shelter Covering, Water Feature (FloForm), Kid’s Play
Area, Firepit)

• Church Renova ons: $60K

• Hardscaping and Landscaping: $45K
• Social Programs: 15K/year
(Business Consultant monthly s pend, $1000. Bags, Labels, etc. $200/quarter for start-up
and then the business supports. Workspace start-up tools and supplies $500.

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NEST - Timeline
2 Years

• 1st Stage (3 months): Planning, permits, hiring contractors.

• 2nd Stage (3 months): Church interior gut demo. Exterior site demo — soil testing for
contaminants, removing previous hardscape xtures and plants.

• 3rd Stage (6 months): Interior renovations of the Church and residences — 2 kitchens, 3
bedrooms, library, workspace and storage.

• 4th Stage (6 months): Exterior site renovations — Fencing, hardscaping, outdoor kitchen,
common areas, greenhouse, irrigation, water and solar systems. Final Inspections.

• 5th Stage (3 months): Landscaping — plantings of mature trees and plant beds.

• 6th Stage (3 months): Social Permaculture programming is set-up in the Church.

• 7th Stage: Residents move-in and start training programs.

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NEST - Permaculture Pricipals
Permaculture Principles and Ethics to Guide NEST

• Care of the Earth

• Care of the People

• Setting Limits to Consumption & Population

• Give Away or Re-Invest Surplus

• “The prime directive of permaculture is to take responsibility for our own

existence and that of our children”
NEST - Permaculture Pricipals
Permaculture Principles and Ethics to Guide NEST

The relationship between one generation and the next (adult/child) is the primary element in creating regenerative living systems on all
levels, social, economic & environmental. N.E.S.T. uses permaculture principles to guide a design for a self-maintaining, re-generative
living & teaching community where formerly incarcerated mothers and their children can navigate their transformational edge between
the past and the future. In this re-generative living community, mothers and their children will be nurtured and in turn be able to nurture.

• Observe and Interact:

• The Problem is the Solution:

• Obtain a Yield:

• Integrate Rather than Segregate:

• Use edges and Value the Marginal:

• Every Element is supported by many functions:

• Relative Location:

• Diversity:

• Stacking:
NEST - Conclusion
The NEST Permaculture Residence & Teaching Center

• Our design transforms a 100 year old church property, maintaining its original
intent of being a safe haven.

• The row of trees and beauti cation along 7th St. is our way of expressing to the
community that we take pride in being there. The trees also seclude our
families in serene, functional garden while mitigating street noise.

• The garden is a learning space for the children and a business opportunity for
the mothers. We have converted the church former sanctuary space into a
small commercial kitchen, workspace and multi-use seating area.

• In this nest, a diverse group of women will come together to build, share,
teach, mentor, love and grow.
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