Mission for Home Retreat Center

My vision for this property is to create a sanctuary: a “home,” for healing, strengthening and empowerment. Its modalities will include yoga, meditation, and Native American practices, and will be open to all sacred arts and healing. Its position on oceanfront cliffs serves as a reminder that where ocean meets earth and forces collide we are witness Mother Nature's beauty and grace, awe-filled by her power.

Home and its programs hope to allow for restructuring of the human condition. It intends to serve as a jumping off point for participants to move forward beyond fear and its limitations into a deeper connection with self and/or spirit/God awareness. Eco-friendly, self-sustaining structures can allow for higher vibration, and for food gardens on living roofs, while demonstrating how pleasant and practical eco-living can be

Certain times throughout the year may be set aside for inner city children, for the disadvantaged, and for Native American gatherings. The diving cliffs can always be available for public use and community and neighborhood events can be held here at various times throughout the year. Family reunions, weddings, ceremonies for passing souls or environmental groups may also be at home here.

The Land

Quite simply, the cliffs are magical. They provide a spectacular view of the ocean, Nantasket Beach with the Boston skyline visible in the distance and a sweeping view of its harbor's entrance. Two lighthouses -- Boston and Graves -- are visible to the Northwest, and Minot's Light, the third, is only visible from the property's highest point. People of all ages have been drawn to this spot for a myriad of reasons, including stargazing, swimming and snorkeling, sunset viewing, storm watching, and cliff diving.
Gandhi once said that he imagined heaven to be filled with the sounds of children playing. Every day, during the warm months, children of all ages migrate to this sacred swimming hole to take a plunge into the Atlantic. The three diving areas are separate from one another. At the East end of the land, on the beach, is the Little Gully, a smooth stone natural water playground which is perfect for kindergarten and elementary school children. The Big Gully is the main attraction of the cliffs, providing a dozen perches, of heights between two and twenty feet, from which you can hurl yourself into the ocean. Most of these jumping spots have name like High Rock, Parachute, and Plateau, which have been passed down through the generations: parents to children, older siblings to younger. The west end of Gunrock Beach that borders the estate has stone formations and a gully that would make a perfect place to build a saltwater ocean pool for the public to use and enjoy during the summer months.
At the North end of the property is The Valley, the highest cliff jump in the area, which is close to thirty feet above sea level. A small inlet beach separates the two larger lots. A suspension bridge traversing this inlet could connect the two large lots. The North face of the land provides safe boat moor-age, just a hundred yards off the shoreline. The water depth around this area allows for boats to access passengers even at low tide. A long outcropping of rocks on the Northwest corner of the West lot is perfect for a seasonal dock slip, potentially providing direct access by boat to Logan, Boston's international airport. Retreat participants could be shuttled across the water from the airport, directly to the healing center, without using roads and sitting in traffic -- the healing can begin on the way over.
My family owns two houses, which abut the East lot at the South entrance, and provide access from the main road. These two houses border the southeast entrance and have the potential to be used in conjunction with larger retreats and trainings. Within walking distance there are many restaurants and shops, but most importantly two hotels, which can accommodate hundreds of people.
Situated twenty-two miles driving distance from the city, and about half that distance by water, Home would be perfectly accessible for local New Englanders as well as those making a longer journey. With two main lots divided by a stony beach, separate smaller retreats could co-exist side-by-side without disrupting each other. The two main lots encompass almost an acre of oceanfront cliffs, and lower on to a beautiful hourglass-white sand beach.
The beach itself is approximately four-hundred meters in width and has hard-packed white sand, perfect for yoga, movements, beach games, and, yes, amazing sand castles: fine sand, finer castles. Very few beaches have sand grains so small and consistent. If you've ever had the privilege to hear the beach squeak under your feet, you know what I'm talking about.
The beach is mainly residential, due to limited access and an absence of large parking lots nearby, so it is never overcrowded. The water temperature goes from sixty degrees in May to seventy-two in late August, but can change from day to day. The lovely waters prompt daily scuba diving trips off the beach, out to the jetty and beyond. Motorboats are not allowed close in to the beach, to keep the swimmers safe. Snorkeling is wonderful around the cliffs, with plenty of crabs, snails and fish scattered about. Occasionally you can spot a lobster close in, although they prefer deeper, darker waters.
My goal is to have all people enjoy this seaside haven, every season of the year. More can attend in the summer, because for six months or more temporary structures such as teepees, yurts, geodesic domes and container homes can be utilized. But the winter -- when the green sea is churning, and the whitecaps blow from the Northeast, when ice packs six feet deep cover the beach -- this land-and-sea junction reaches peak of beauty. All through the winter, in the two main buildings -- four thousand and seven thousand square feet, respectively -- gatherings can go on inside eco-friendly, naturally powered, radiant-heated structures, peering out over the turbulent, raging seas.
The sun rises over Gunrock Beach, to the East, across a wave-protected North face, and sets over Nantasket Beach to the West. In the summer, the sun dips below the horizon, illuminating the tall buildings of Boston's downtown, offering equally good views at sunrise and sunset, and casting colorful reflections off the water. The East lot is approximately seventeen thousand square feet, and the West lot is approximately twenty-four thousand square feet. They are extremely large lots for this neighborhood, and can accommodate building footprints for forty-two hundred and seven thousand square feet, respectively. Although I am planning for self-sustaining main buildings, there is road frontage, with sewage and utility access, in place. The land value within one mile of the cliffs has been rated the highest in Massachusetts, and this area is one of the most preferred vacation destinations in the nation. Sea kayaking, scuba diving, fishing, water skiing, snorkeling, Frisbee, volleyball, horseshoes, and beach walks happen every day in the summer on both Gunrock Beach, and on the “Big Beach,” Nantasket, just over the hill where the hotels and restaurants are located. Nantasket is four miles in length, perfect for long runs, walks and kite flying. Surfers occasionally catch some big waves and slow rollers in front of the town's main place of lodging, a full service resort complete with large function facilities, Health club, spa, restaurant, bar, pool with retractable roof and more. The Nantasket Hotel would be available for extra guests and is located about a mile or so from Home.

Buildings/Development

The dwellings can be gently placed upon this land so as to not disturb the contour of the cliff, the natural surroundings, and the views of the neighbors. They can also catch rainwater, grow food on living roofs, and generate power from wind and solar harvesting -- not only being kind to the environment, but heightening vibration levels with natural power and eco-friendly materials. Natural light and aqua therapy sources include lap pools and ocean swimming; steam rooms, sauna, soaking tubs, hydrotherapy, and more can be incorporated.

The first building plan is a large, almost square, U-type structure with two East wings, straddling a crevice, which descends to Gunrock beach. The proposed footprint is forty-four hundred square feet, most of which would be a main front room for gathering: at least twenty-four hundred square feet at the North front of the structure. Stones could be used to side the twelve to fourteen foot-high building, and dune grass to line the perimeter of the living roof, helping it blend into the bluff. Half of the sod roof could be used to grow food, while the rest could remain open for temporary housing structures and outdoor classes or gatherings. The south face would then back into the hill, towards the neighbors, and be perfect for solar panels on the South wall, and potentially the rear of the living roof, powering mainly the summer months. Windmills could adorn the front of the living roof and rock outcroppings in front, harnessing the incessant winter Northeast winds for power after summer ends. The exact construction style has yet to be finalized but the structure plans include stone siding, with two- to three foot-thick soundproof, insulated walls, solar radiant heating, two- to three foot-thick living roofs, and be one hundred-percent off the power grid, possibly harvesting extra power to sell back to the grid. Town sewage may be used unless an alternative solution proves more sustainable. Strictly eco-friendly materials can be used, and by local builders.

This area has been my home going on forty years. All of the tradesmen are in place, are excited about the project, and charge reasonable rates to family and friends. Space for at least six temporary structures can be set aside for the East and West properties. A teepee will be mandatory -- maybe several -- and other nomadic homes will be considered, such as Mongolian yurts, geodesic domes, container homes, and cement and mud domes.

The second lot is approximately twenty-four hundred square feet, somewhat larger than the East lot. The town ordinance says that thirty percent of the land can be built on. Most of this lot is below the coastal flood zone, so this building should be on ten- to twelsve-foot stilts, and hug the road frontage thirteen feet from the street, to allow for parking underneath. The structure on the West lot is planned to arc along the road for approximately one hundred to one hundred and fifty feet, and extend towards the ocean about forty feet in depth. The square footage of this single-story building would be between four thousand and six thousand square feet, offering a living roof deck the same size, above, and parking/workspace down below. This lot is not only on lower cliffs, but they descend more gradually into the sea, creating a gentle, sloping descent that extends further into the water, allowing proper depth for a dock. This gradual slope could allow safe hauling of boat supplies to the slip, and also accommodate seasonal housing quite well at water's edge. This structure could also be stone-sided, with two- to three-foot thick walls, floors, and ceilings, utilizing solar radiant heating, wind power, and rainwater collection.

Lap pools could also be present on both properties, along with water storage tanks of many shapes and sizes, hidden from view under patios and decks, and in stone wall systems. The rainwater that flows down the hill washes down my sister's driveway and Burr Road behind the West lot every year. As long as the tanks were large enough, no outside water would be needed, even with massive gardens. These two major lots are mostly ledge, so digging down for geothermal and water tank storage may not be possible. Deep digging could possibly take place on my family's two lots, to submerge large tanks into the earth, and maybe excavate some natural stone to build the stone wall system, which would aesthetically blend together terraces, fencing boundaries, wall systems, and entrances, and function as a creative water storage solution.

As mentioned earlier, the cliffs known as the
Big Gully can be made accessible to the public by creating a walkway from the corner of Gunrock Beach extending around the outer perimeter of the property line. We could also allow the neighbors to use the dock to get to and from their boats, saving them a walk to the beach to drag their rowboat across the sand to the water. Interaction between the neighborhood people and the visiting retreatants, at the dock and on the diving cliffs, could be socially enriching for everyone involved.

Investments/Business:

This space could be functional for any number of business models: a corporation, foundation, education facility, private company, etc. It could become the subsidiary of an investor's company, or could be run as a non-profit group. I am open to any and all options. My family and I have Native status, which means all four lots that are physically connected could become a First Nations reserve, and act as a meeting ground for tribal council and regional gatherings. One thing to note is that this is a mainly residential area, and many nearby homes are summer rentals. The zoning of the area may require it to be leased as a private rental, one day, one week, one month at a time, etc. That being said, many local homes are available for rent and may be of use during larger retreats. There are three or four places to enter the compound; people could be shuttled in passenger vans from free parking lots half a mile away, behind Nantasket beach. Rental value in the summer is extremely high. Many local residents rent out their homes while they travel for the summer, and in two months make enough money to pay the year's mortgage. The location, so close to the city, means that the town is easy to access. While the family relaxes all day on the beach, parents or caregivers can work, see shows, golf, or boat. They can take the family to Red Sox games, museums, the aquarium, whale watching, and much more, all within twenty miles of the center.

Mainly large Irish Catholic families grew up in this area. Many have outgrown their one summer home, and are always looking for a place that could accommodate a few families or more. Family reunions could be hosted at Home, giving it a real opportunity to live up to its name! Many families gather here, as diving techniques from sturdy ledges of ocean stone require safe guidance from family members and good friends.

This land has always been a place of bonding. A few years ago, my sister married her husband on these cliffs. Weddings and peaceful gatherings could provide further potential income. There is also the possibility that the two main structures could become sight homes for an eco-building company who might build the buildings for free, in exchange to use of them at various times each year for workshops, education, commercial filming, company conferences, and international meetings. The possibilities for business are limited only by imagination. Declaring the four-lot compound Native land Reserve may be the best option, but any and all types of businesses will also be looked into and considered.

Ideally, I would like to see all events of a healing nature, but with two main buildings, maybe one will be favored for more spiritual gatherings, and the other more movement or family-oriented. One stilted building and one embedded into the cliff would contrast beautifully in terms of building style. An eco-building company could build two different styles and then have space for about six temporary structures for at least six months a year. That would give the eco building company two diverse and radical Cliffside structures, with living roofs; six temporary eco structures; and also possibly two remodeled family houses that could act as conversion models, moving from gas and electric power to naturally-sourced power from their own lots. That makes ten structures total on the cliffs at the edge of the beach.

I am sure there are many more possibilities and look forward to hearing your input.

Landscape Photography by Midge Lawlor at, "A Moment in Time Photography" http://www.photoartbymidge.com/

Additional photos by Michael Tuplin