Here is a sampling of some of our proposed future projects:

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• Ecological sanitation: Our current method of collecting excreta in containers for outdoor composting has worked well but is labor intensive both for the participating individuals who transport their buckets of ETPA (excrement, toilet paper, and additive) as well as for the Humanure Team who processes it monthly. An alternate approach would be to use a vacuum flush system to collect excreta for central composting and sanitization. A further benefit of this approach would be to automate the collection of urine and ground household compostables for similar central processing. We are currently exploring the available options.
• Exterior makeover: Modeled after an Asian temple as drawn by the visionary Mark Lakeman (see his sketches below), our exterior makeover has already begun with the completion of a new metal roof surface, as well as a cupola in the center of the main building serving as a utility space for solar energy collection and as an observation tower. He has proposed the installation of decorative spires and Aztec roof "combs" at several locations on the roof. We have finally sourced stainless gold rectangular tubing for this project. Now that the rooftop solar project is completed it makes sense to proceed.

• Further rainwater harvesting projects: Our roof collects over 200,000 gallons of water yearly. We have already diverted this water out of the sanitary sewer so we can keep it on site to replenish the local aquifer from which we draw our irrigation water. Another 200,000 gallons of rainwater falls on the driveway and has also been diverted to the wetland gardens, where it is cleansed and returned to the local aquifer. We have already implemented extensive rain gardens including kinetic sculptures. However, the full aesthetic potential remains to be achieved. So we anticipate further progress in our rain gardens and sculptures, including adding musical elements powered by falling rain.

• Outdoor kitchen: Food preservation, by canning and drying the surplus Summer and Fall harvest, makes eminent sense, but can heat a residential space to an uncomfortable degree. An outdoor kitchen can perform these tasks using solar energy or surplus scrap wood as fuel. The existing utility sink using solar heated water serves to clean garden produce. An outdoor kitchen will also be a valuable resource during an emergency event, assisting emergency preparedness. We hope to install a variety of wood fired stoves such as different fuel efficient rocket stoves. Solar ovens would also allow harvesting of solar radiation for cooking.

• Solar thermal energy harvesting: Oregon is blessed with abundant solar radiation, mainly in the summer, but actually year round. One possible project is a preheating system using solar thermal vacuum tubes to collect heat in water and pump it to all residential units. This could help preheat the supply entering each residential water heater as well as heat air for residential units.  

• Courtyard mural: our eastern building wall faces the street and would make an ideal canvas to create an inspiring artwork.

• Remodeling of 4000 sq ft crawl spaces as workshops: We have abundant conditioned space in large crawl spaces between the community room, Unit 17, and the Laundry/Mail rooms. Although this would require significant excavation and engineering, we have the potential to create a significant work space that could be used by residents for numerous projects.

• Tiny house, yurt, and RV village: Our 27 car space parking lot is convenient for residents for parking their vehicles on site. However, Portland, and our neighborhood, already has plenty of street pavement for car parking. A higher use of this space would be to transform it into living space for innovative housing types including tiny houses, yurts, RVs, and tents, augmented by a community gathering space including a kitchen and sanitary facilities with public ecological sanitation. Another use might be to depave it, transforming it into more gardens. Don't our cities already have enough parking lots? In any case, we want to augment our current bike parking to encourage human powered transport.