Win Win Reactor

Vision

We consider permaculture’s first principle–observe & interact–absolutely crucial; without observation, we do not see, or at best, we see only a slice. If we do not observe, we do not know where we are. If we do not observe, we do not know what we have. And the real cherry, without observation, we often miss the story–that oh-so compelling human element, the narrative, the juice. It is by consciously observing the story of a place, that we are able to truly know our surroundings. We find the story to be the very backbone of Win/Win, and we are constantly on the watch for additional chapters. And so it is with a high-value of observation that we approach the overall project of Win/Win, as well as the day-to-day choices we make. In our opinion, healthy & focused observation is our very foundation. To win on many levels, for the benefit of many, to achieve multiple functions–this is our baseline. (add story of house, of street, of neighbourhood, of city). And then, yes, to interact; to activate the observation; to do something with the observation.

We are dedicated to the reuse of items, materials, energy flows, and all the other variables which are swirling around us moment-by-moment. As it happens, permaculture’s sixth principle is produce no waste. But, reuse goes beyond the production of waste (or… un-production); reuse is saving something from becoming waste. For indeed… just what is ‘waste’ anyways? For us waste, and usability, are often simply a frame of mind. We think this is a remarkably significant topic for contemplation, incredibly important dire for human beings at this time.

It may come as no surprise then, that we have decided to locate the project in an urban setting; urban environments are rich in human story & social intrigue, and as well, urban environments are rich in materials which waiver that pretend-line between waste & reusable. Detroit, and many other post-industrial areas of its kind, are landscapes of material. We think that with a little recalibration in one’s definition of a ‘usable item’, a major innovation explosion can take place. There are numerous groups around the city of Detroit who are weaving creativity, imagination, practicality, and usability into the detritus of the American Dream, inventing wildly novel creations that simply buzz with fresh ingenuousness. People really do love to say, “Aha! That’s actually a seat-belt!”, because the fact that a seat-belt could make such a damn good looking purse is actually quite breathtaking. Making this leap from the obvious-&-stale, to the brand-new-but-it’s-still-actually-old startling-transformation is our vision.

This kind of inventor-ethic requires that we are dedicated to proactive creation-production, rather than a passive consumption. We firmly believe in the power of one’s own abilities and love to live in the awe of skill-building & individual know-how. The energy one gains from acquiring valuable life-skills is a powerful one, and we will strive to keep our space ripe for it.

Sustainability isn’t really an element of our vision–it is a more of a byproduct of the aforementioned. We believe that our variety of sustainability will be created by following what we have laid out in our vision.

 

Who we are

Since meeting in 2010 at the Panya Project in northern Thailand, Gregory Crawford & Maina Petry have been wandering, in pursuit of exploring their varied passions. Like any good, responsible traveller they have collected a healthy mountain of high-quality experiences and real-life lessons.

 

Despite (or perhaps due to) their distinct interests, Greg & Maina enjoy a rich and collaborative relationship. As an international couple, Greg & Maina had the luxury/curse to choose anywhere in the world to live… in the end, they decided to call Detroit, Michigan home.

 

They plan to spend the coming years exploring their dynamic, challenging, outrageous, and fantastic city (About Detroit), while transforming their house into a collage of all the wild and amazing things they have witnessed around this planet. more information: winwinreactor.wordpress.com