Welcome to Freedom Village
A Safe, Inclusive Community
Freedom Village is a safe, inclusive, and resilient community for people who have been marginalized.
Our work centers on a cooperative village designed to host residents in tiny homes and RVs. The site will include critical infrastructure such as water, sanitation, power, and internet access, along with shared gathering and support areas.
Together with our partner, Unity Harbour, we're building an off-grid sanctuary for BIPOC, LGBTQ+, disabled, and displaced families—a place where everyone can live free from fear and systemic exclusion.
As Community Forge, we have a designated parcel within the village. We are managing the development and intake for our space with full autonomy, ensuring our designs and processes align with the community's shared values of inclusivity and trauma-informed care. Units will be offered at $500 per month with all utilities included.
Big News: Our Vision Has Expanded to 20 Acres in Monte Vista!
We're excited to announce that Freedom Village has secured a new 20-acre property in Monte Vista, Colorado! This expansion allows us to create a comprehensive micro-city, and we need your creative vision more than ever.
A Tale of Two Cities: Dual Design Challenges
We're launching two distinct design contests to bring this expanded vision to life. You can enter one or both!
- Contest 1: The Underground Sanctuary (Evolution of our original challenge)
- Contest 2: The Sunlit City (Brand new above-ground urban design)
Both contests offer the same amazing prizes and are open to everyone!
Watch our video walk-through of the property to see the land and our vision for the community.
Join Our Community
Are you looking for a safe and supportive place to
call home? We are now accepting applications for people interested in joining our vibrant community.
We're seeking individuals and families who share our vision of creating a cooperative and equitable sanctuary.
If you're ready to be a part of this unique project, you can learn more and apply to join Community Forge.
We're excited to hear from you and build the future together.
Apply to Join
Support Our Vision
Freedom Village is powered by the generosity of people like you.
We've secured the land, but we need your help to build the infrastructure that will make this community a reality.
Your donation goes directly toward essential projects, including:
- Installing wells, septic systems, and roads
- Building accessible housing and emergency shelters
- Sustaining our work with care, transparency, and love
Every contribution, no matter the size, brings us closer to our goal. Please consider making a donation today through our secure page.
Let's build a future where everyone belongs—both above and below!
Donate to Freedom Village
Other Ways to Help
Even if you can't join or donate to Freedom Village, you can still support our broader mission:
- Help someone stay housed in Charlotte
- Support our food programs
- Volunteer your time
Designing Freedom: A Community Forge Challenge
We're not just designing a tiny home—we're designing the future of community living. We're launching two contests to find visionary plans for our expanded community.
Contest 1: The Underground Sanctuary
Inspired by Whittier, Alaska, where a single building houses most of the town's essential services, we're seeking designs for a connected underground village on a dedicated portion of our land.
Your design should feature interconnected tiny homes and communal spaces with elements like atriums and underground greenery.
The goal is to create a practical, self-contained sanctuary that can house as many people as possible while fostering a close-knit community.
Contest 2: The Sunlit City
With our expanded 20-acre property, we need a master plan for our surface-level micro-city! Design the layout for our above-ground community: tiny home neighborhoods, community gardens, central plaza, sustainable infrastructure, and shared spaces that create a vibrant, walkable, trauma-informed town.
This is your chance to help us shape the future of our community.
The contests are open to everyone, regardless of age, background, or skill level.
This includes architects, designers, students, hobbyists, and even those who design with tools like The Sims.
Prizes for Each Contest
- Grand Prize: A free living unit at Freedom Village for one year.
The winner will have their design built on the property (or serve as primary inspiration for the city plan) and will receive a one-year occupancy of the completed unit. Value: ($6,000 per year + all utilities included.)
The winner must agree to the terms of the Freedom Village occupancy agreement and abide by all community rules.
Please note, the free unit is a prize for occupancy, not a transfer of ownership of the land or structure.
The grand prize winner will also be responsible for the monthly member agreement fee of $50, which covers community costs and upkeep.
- Second Place: A free 1-month stay at Freedom Village. Value: ($500 per month + all utilities included.)
- Third Place: A free 2-week stay at Freedom Village. Value: ($500 per month + all utilities included.)
All prize stays are subject to the winner(s) adhering to all community rules and agreements.
Architectural Program: The Underground Sanctuary
Thank you for your interest in Designing Freedom: A Community Forge Challenge! Below is the comprehensive architectural program for our underground hub, incorporating inspiration from Whittier, Alaska's Begich Towers as well as critical Colorado-specific adaptations for water, climate, and regulatory challenges.
Architectural Program: Underground Mixed-Use Hub
This program outlines the spatial and functional requirements for a self-sufficient, underground mixed-use community inspired by the principles of Begich Towers, Coober Pedy, Australia, Earthship Biotecture, and Montreal's RESO. The total project area is 5 acres (approximately 217,800 square feet).
I. Core Program Requirements & Approximate Square Footages
The hub is a multi-layered structure designed to maximize density, light, and community interaction.
| Program Element |
Description |
Approx. Total Square Footage |
% of Total Area |
| Housing
Units |
A mix of studio, 1-bedroom, and family units (2-3 bedrooms) designed for dense, livable layouts.
- Unit Count: Approximately 500-600 units
- Unit Size: Ranging from 900 sqft to 1,200 sqft
- Features: Lofted spaces, convertible rooms, and varied floor plans are encouraged
|
130,680 - 152,460 sqft |
60-70% |
| Vertical Farming & Food Production |
Integrated hydroponic/aquaponic systems and communal gardens, distributed across floors to ensure fresh food access. Space should also be allocated for animal husbandry.
- Goal: To produce over 50% of the community's food
- Animal Husbandry: Dedicated, well-ventilated spaces for chickens and goats for eggs, milk, and fertilizer. These spaces should be designed with waste management and humane conditions in mind.
|
21,780
- 32,670 sqft |
10-15% |
| Retail & Public Services |
Clustered for walkability and community interaction.
These zones should be no more than a 5-minute walk from any housing unit.
- Grocery/Market: Prioritize adjacency to vertical farms and animal husbandry areas
- Theater/Multi-Purpose Space: A flexible space for movies, community events, and workshops
- Co-working Areas & Workshops: Dedicated spaces for residents to work, collaborate, and practice crafts
- Childcare & Education: Facilities for children, connected to communal green spaces
- Tourist Infrastructure: Hotel/pod-style lodging and a visitor center to generate revenue
|
32,670 - 43,560 sqft |
15-20% |
| Circulation & Communal Corridors |
Wide corridors that double as social spaces, meeting ADA compliance and encouraging interaction.
- Features: Light-simulating elements, seating areas, and connections to atriums
|
21,780 sqft |
10% |
| Snowmelt Infrastructure |
Surfaces and storage for capturing and managing melted snow.
- Surface collection zones (fenced/wind-protected) for snow harvesting
- Insulated cisterns for long-term storage, adjacent to farms/livestock
|
5-10% of area |
5-10% |
II.
Adjacency & Spatial Relationships
The design should prioritize functional and social adjacencies to create a cohesive and efficient community.
- Housing & Green Spaces: Housing units should be located near light wells, atriums, or other natural light sources to improve air quality and resident well-being.
- Retail & Services: Cluster retail and services to create a vibrant "main street" effect, ensuring easy access for all
residents.
- Farming & Kitchens: The food production areas should be directly linked to communal kitchens and the grocery/market to streamline the supply chain and reduce waste.
- Workshops & Communal Spaces: Co-working areas and craft workshops should be easily accessible from both residential and public zones.
III.
Sustainability & Infrastructure
Contestants are encouraged to integrate Earthship-inspired, off-grid systems.
The goal is to achieve year-round comfort (70°F) with minimal environmental impact.
Energy:
- Geothermal Systems: Use the earth's stable temperature for passive heating and cooling.
- Renewable Energy: Integrate hybrid solar/wind power systems.
Water Management:
- Closed-Loop Systems: Implement greywater recycling.
- Rainwater & Snowmelt Capture: Design a robust system for collecting and storing melted snow.
Food Production:
- Hydroponics/Aquaponics: The vertical farms should use these methods to grow produce efficiently in a confined space.
- Compost & Fertilizer: The waste from the chickens and goats should be integrated into the farming systems as a natural fertilizer source.
Thermal Regulation:
- Earth-Sheltering: The design should leverage the thermal mass of the earth to maintain a stable interior temperature.
- Natural Light Solutions: The integration of light wells, atriums, fiber-optic light tubes, and reflective surfaces is crucial for bringing natural sunlight underground.
- Snow as Insulation: Use snow as insulation for exposed northern walls of the structure.
Architectural Program: The Sunlit City
I. Core Program Requirements & Zoning
Total Project Area: 20 acres in Monte Vista, CO
Overall Vision: Create a walkable, sustainable, trauma-informed town plan that embodies safety, inclusivity, and resilience.
II. Land Use & Programmatic Distribution
- Residential Districts (≈40%): Tiny home clusters, cottage courts, multi-family buildings with private outdoor spaces and communal areas
- Agricultural & Green Zones (≈30%): Community gardens, greenhouses, orchards, animal pastures, natural areas
- Community & Commercial Core (≈20%): Central plaza, community center, healthcare clinic, library, retail spaces
- Infrastructure & Circulation (≈10%): Pedestrian-first paths, vehicle access, renewable energy sites, water management
III. Key Design Considerations
- Trauma-Informed Design: Clear sightlines, safe pathways, calming green spaces
- Off-Grid Sustainability: Solar/wind microgrid, water capture and recycling, integrated food production
- Climate Resilience: Passive solar design, wind protection, snow management
- Integration: Connection points with the Underground Sanctuary
IV.
Judging Criteria
- Financial Feasibility: How convincingly does the design achieve the ≤$500/month cost target?
This is a core criterion.
- Colorado Resilience: How does the design leverage snow/altitude as an asset rather than a liability?
- Creativity and practicality
- Embodiment of community spirit
Bonus Challenges:
- Snow-to-Water Efficiency: Propose metrics and calculations for meltwater yield (e.g., "1 acre of snow = X gallons").
Diagrams of snow collection surfaces and water storage systems.
- Water Law Strategy: The submission acknowledges and offers a conceptual or documented plan for addressing Colorado's prior appropriation water law.
V.
References & Inspiration
Contestants should research these examples to understand the project's vision:
Let's build a future where everyone belongs—both above and below!
Submission Details
- How to Submit: Participants can submit drawings to help@unitedandfierce.com, 3D renderings, models, or any other visual representation of their design. Submissions must be to scale.
- For Contest 1 (Underground Sanctuary): Subject: [Preferred Name, Design Name, FV-SANCTUARY]
- For Contest 2 (Sunlit City): Subject: [Preferred Name, Design Name, FV-SUNLIT]
All participants must be able to sign a release and liability waiver. For minors, a parent or legal guardian must sign on their behalf.
- New Deadline: January 31, 2027, at 11:59 p.m. MST
- Intellectual Property: By submitting a design, participants acknowledge their work will be reviewed by the contest judges. Community Forge agrees not to use any submitted design or imagery for public or commercial purposes without the designer's explicit, written consent.
If a design is not selected as a winner, it will not be used in any capacity by Community Forge or Freedom Village.
- Judging: Entries will be judged on creativity, practicality, adherence to the rules, and how well the design embodies the spirit of the Freedom Village community.
Your Action Matters
Every act of generosity, big or small, creates a ripple effect of change.
Don't wait—take action today. Volunteer your time or make a donation to help us build a better tomorrow.
Choose your way to help now:
.JPG)
