River Sol’s design taps into myriad biophilic design elements to connect humans to nature, with the Deschutes River serving as a central connection. The river’s water nourishes life and River Sol nourishes harmony with its surroundings.
River Sol’s biophilic design framework is illustrated in a series of expanding circles: River Sol at the core, surrounded next by water, then trees, then habitat — all interlinked by sensory experiences like the smell of pine and sound of water, and emotions including inspiration and feeling grounded.
The framework emerged from several spring 2020 Zoom discussions among River Sol owners Scott and Lisa May, professionals advising on Living Building Challenge requirements for River Sol, and biophilic design consultants.
For the Mays, the site is beautiful, powerful, spiritual and brimming with connections.
During one biophilic session, Lisa called River Sol’s location “nothing short of magic to us.”
Scott feels a particularly strong pull from the river. More than 50 years ago, he began waterskiing with his family on Lake Billy Chinook, which is about 45 miles north of River Sol and is fed by the Deschutes. From there, the Deschutes flows to the Columbia River. Scott built a lifetime of memories on that water, to which he returns at River Sol with a transformative mission.
His connection to the river is spiritual, too, as his late father, Ron, learned to swim in the Columbia and grew up near the Deschutes confluence. Scott and his family spread Ron’s ashes into the Deschutes at River Sol in 2020, a journey home in the circle of life that is represented by River Sol in so many ways.
The pine cones from River Sol’s resident ponderosas are meaningful to Lisa, who sees their spiraling scales representing the divine order of nature. River Sol’s design includes windows capturing view of the pines, and myriad opportunities to smell their scent — just one of many biophilic elements architect Al Tozer Jr. expertly wove into his design connecting people to place.
Lisa says the site is a vortex, possessing “an energetic frequency like no other place I’ve stood,” in particular, one spot just outside the location of River Sol’s planned kitchen facing the Deschutes. She and Scott believe all frequency carries information, “and this land has informed us significantly and it will continue to.” She feels a deep physical, spiritual and emotional connection there.
Lisa works in holistic leadership development through her company, Fülle. She helps leaders and companies unlock human potential through science-based tools and technologies, including tapping the neuroscience of change and innovation that can be forged by creating new neuropathways.
River Sol also is about change and innovation, including how homes are built and experienced, and how LBC homes can be constructed more affordably for wider production.
Scott is a food scientist whose company, MISTA, has an innovation lab that aims to help transform the global food system. He expressed a desire during the biophilic Zoom calls to innovate how food is grown at River Sol, including establishing aquaponics and greenhouse structures to increase River Sol food production. He noted the intersection between food innovation and LBC, which seeks to transform the built environment. Both seek a healthier, sustainable result.
For Lisa and Scott, LBC ties into their lives’ mission: creating better futures.
The deeper connections between nature and the built environment at River Sol will be explored in future blogs, but the connections are numerous.
Even the name, River Sol, has deeper meaning. River represents the Deschutes. Sol has double meaning: for the life-giving sun and its light, and also for the site’s soul-evolving qualities.
River Sol intends to demonstrate scalability of LBC homes, building off a history-making foundation set by the first LBC home, Desert Rain, built in Bend by Tom Elliott and Barbara Scott. River Sol seeks to demonstrate that such homes can be built at a more attainable cost, putting transformative ways of living within more people’s reach.
“Our objective is to try to take it to the next level … and get a solution that is more achievable for other people,” said Scott, who believes Bend is the perfect community to demonstrate that vision’s attainability.