The Happy Castle Commune
A New Way to Live
The Happy Castle Commune is the central aspect of Happy Castle Art Camp. These are the people, buildings, and businesses which sustain them. Being a Happy Castle Collaborator means that you live onsite for weeks, months, or years at a time.
Villagers are more or less permanent residents of Happy Castle. They collectively own and operate the various business operations onsite as well as contribute to the more social aspects of the community like decision-making, cooking, cleaning, farming and, of course, building.
Each Villager not only lives and learns in the commune, they also earn a discretionary income from the campground's various revenue streams, including the campground, festival, and farm. It's our vision that Happy Castle will provide an alternative mode of living for like-minded free-spirits, giving people a chance to remove themselves from the daily struggle and alienation of our capitalist-rat-race to instead live and work in a radical, inclusive, and fulfilling intentional-community while simultaneously saving up for the next chapter of their lives. By becoming a Villager at Happy Castle you have the opportunity to learn new skills and meet new people while living onsite and accruing savings without spending anything on personal necessities. So stay awhile before moving on to your next project, whether that's a new camper van or a homestead of their own, and leave with part of what you helped to create.
We want our members to not only share in our vision of a more inclusive and self-sufficient future, but share in the prosperity it provides as well. For some, Happy Castle may be their forever-home, for others just a memorable stepping-stone on their own journey of self-discovery. Come meet people who think and feel like you, people who want to build something bigger than themselves. Come join the Happy Castle Commune!
Happy Castle Art Camp Team
Get to Know Us
WANNA JOIN?
A project like Happy Castle requires lots of collaboration, resources, and hard work. While we're optimistic about our ability to raise seed money through Kickstarter, our vision cannot come to life through finances alone. No matter how much money we might have on hand, Happy Castle is, at it's core, a community. And communities need people!
Membership in the commune is open to potentially anyone as long as they demonstrate a shared commitment to living sustainably and collectively. Of course, space is not unlimited, so we must prioritize our applicants according to the needs of the camp. Fill out our application to learn more and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.
VISION DOCUMENTS
Who We Are, What We Want, and Where We're Going.
Happy Castle Art Camp
Our vision at Happy Castle is to create a completely self-sufficient eco-village in the high-desert, demonstrating the possibilities and practicalities of living off-grid an environment that has historically been labelled inhospitable and commercially worthless by mainstream society, while promoting the growth and fulfillment of our collaborators.
What's more is that, although we will establish the infrastructure necessary to do so, in no way do we intend to cut ourselves off from or shun the rest of the world, but rather, we intend to embrace and invite them to share in a revolutionary lifestyle that is radically inclusive, communal, and environmentally sustainable through our interactive art-garden, campground, classes, commune, content and, of course, our festivals.
Through this outreach, we seek to not only inspire wonder and growth in our visitors, but offer a genuinely viable alternative to the alienation and meaninglessness of the modern capitalist wage-slavery that oppresses the mind, body, spirit, time and potential of so many across our planet. Through our many onsite income-sharing ventures, we aim to build economic-freedom for our people as well as an internationally recognized brand which we hope to leverage in order to establish an ever expanding network of sister eco-villages across the country and eventually the world, thereby promoting raising human consciousness and restoring the environment.
Work, Play, and Contribution
at the Happy Castle Commune
DAILY LIFE
Work Rotations & Responsibilities
Each resident contributes through labor pods, whether it’s cooking, gardening, building, maintaining common spaces, or operating one of our cooperative-businesses. Choose where you work based off personal interests and community needs.
Collective decision making & governance
Participate directly in shaping the future of Happy Castle through involvement in Community Camps, revolving leadership positions, and monthly Town Council Meetings.
Social Gatherings & Traditions
Weekly communal meals, bonfires, workshops, shared spaces, Town Council Meetings, and celebrations strengthen our bonds.
Personal Time & Autonomy
While we work together, there’s plenty of space for personal projects, rest, and reflection. Take advantage of the diverse amenities you helped create.
ETHOS AND CULTURe
of the Happy Castle Commune
Happy Castle is more than just a place to live—it's a shared experiment in creativity, collaboration, and sustainability. Our ethos is rooted in the values of self-sufficiency, inclusivity, and the transformative potential of communal effort. We believe in living lightly on the land, embracing challenges as opportunities for growth, and fostering an environment where everyone can contribute their unique skills and passions.
At its heart, Happy Castle is a community of dreamers and doers who reject the alienating grind of mainstream consumerism in favor of something more meaningful. Here, art, ecology, and shared purpose intersect to create a culture of radical self-expression, mutual support, and resourcefulness. Every member is both a builder and a beneficiary of this evolving vision, where the success of the whole empowers the success of the individual. Together, we are redefining what it means to thrive. We're meant to live connected and sustainably. Our cooperative eco-village model is the new American Dream.
PARTICIPATIVE GOVERNANCE
How We Make Decisions Together
Happy Castle is a participatory community where governance is not about top-down authority but shared responsibility. Our decision-making process is designed to be inclusive, transparent, and adaptable, ensuring that every member has a voice in shaping our collective future. Through structured yet flexible systems, we balance efficiency with community input, fostering a culture of cooperation, accountability, and mutual respect.
Elected
Leadership
at Happy Castle
Art Camp
Happy Castle’s leadership structure is a radical approach to self-determination, participation, and corporate management. Leadership is decentralized, balancing autonomy with coordination to ensure both community and cooperative business functions remain efficient and adaptable. This multi-tiered approach allows for flexibility, participation, and accountability, ensuring that leadership at Happy Castle remains dynamic, inclusive, and mission-driven.
At the foundation of our governance structure are Community Camps—self-organized groups that define their own leadership structures and protocols. While democratic elections serve as a guiding principle, the way each Camp organizes itself can vary, ranging from anarchistic collectives to more structured leadership. Each Camp operates with autonomy, assigning roles and responsibilities that support its mission and contribute to the broader community.
Camp Councils
Above the Camps are Camp Councils, which provide oversight and strategic coordination for related Camps. Each Camp elects at least one representative to its respective Camp Council, ensuring that voices from all groups are heard. Camp Councils define shared goals, develop strategies, and evaluate projects across multiple Camps, ensuring cooperation between intersecting Community Camps and their alignment with the overall mission of Happy Castle. Camp Councilors serve three-month terms, with the election process determined by the Camps they represent.
The Town Council
The Town Council acts as Happy Castle’s primary legislative body. Elected through Ranked-Choice Voting for six-month terms, Town Council members coordinate with Camps and Camp Councils to ensure transparency, set agendas, present proposals, and oversee communal resources. They function much like a Board of Directors for the community’s overall development and planning, ensuring that each Camp’s initiatives align with the larger vision of Happy Castle.
Additionally, there is a Board of Directors, a legally required oversight body for the nonprofit entity. While the Board must ensure compliance with nonprofit regulations and ethical governance, a majority of its members cannot have a vested financial interest in Happy Castle, maintaining impartial oversight of the organization’s mission and financial integrity.
COMMUNAL BUILDINGS
At Happy Castle, our community is designed around shared buildings and infrastructure that foster connection, sustainability, and efficiency. By prioritizing communal spaces, we lower construction costs, reduce labor input, and minimize resource consumption, all while cultivating a vibrant, cooperative culture.
One key feature of this design is our shared bathroom and shower facilities, which serve the entire community. Instead of each household constructing its own facilities, this centralized approach dramatically reduces water consumption per person, simplifies maintenance, and lowers overall construction costs. Similarly, our shared cafeteria and dining areas provide a central space for meals, bringing people together while reducing the energy and resources required to cook individually.
This type of communal infrastructure creates a unique culture of cooperation, where everyday activities become opportunities for connection and shared purpose. Unlike the isolated, individualistic nature of most modern living arrangements, our design encourages collaboration and collective problem-solving. It fosters a deeper sense of belonging, where everyone plays a part in the upkeep and success of the community. This efficiency-oriented, community-centered approach provides a way of life that prioritizes not only environmental sustainability but also the well-being and relationships of those who live here.
COMMUNAL RESOURCES
At Happy Castle, communal resources are at the heart of our community’s collaborative spirit and efficiency. Residents share tools, books, buildings, meals, and access to some vehicles, increasing the need for individual ownership and encouraging cooperation.
We also provide access to a number of shared spaces, including a fully equipped gym for wellness and fitness, along with workshops and studios for resident artists of all kinds—whether you're a painter, sculptor, or builder. These shared spaces foster creativity, learning, and personal growth, while also making life more sustainable and resource-efficient for everyone involved.
Sustainable Living
a new relationship
with the earth
At Happy Castle, we reject the idea that modern civilization must come at the cost of the natural world. We're more advanced, more aware, and more educated than ever before in history, yet we sit on the precipice of destruction because of the institutional structures we've allowed to enslave us. We must take back the future.
We believe in a way of life that regenerates rather than depletes, where humans live in step with nature instead of against it. The eco-village movement represents a radical shift—one that reimagines how we build, grow, consume, and coexist with the planet. Instead of chasing endless growth and wasteful convenience, we focus on resilience, regeneration, self-sufficiency, and purpose.
How We Put This Into Practice
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Sustainable Building – We construct homes using earth-friendly materials like Superadobe, repurposed wood, and salvaged materials. These structures are durable, efficient, and naturally suited to the desert climate.
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Water Conservation & Regeneration – Rainwater harvesting, greywater recycling, and passive water retention systems ensure every drop is used wisely. We integrate permaculture techniques to help restore the land.
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Renewable Energy – Solar and wind power keep us off the grid, reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Our goal is a net-negative carbon footprint, meaning we give back more than we take.
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Waste Reduction & Circular Economy – Composting toilets, upcycled materials, and a zero-waste mindset minimize our impact and create sustainable cycles of reuse.
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Regenerative Agriculture – Centuries of overgrazing and erosion has degraded this part of the desert. Rather than stripping the soil further, we're rebuilding it, using no-till farming, food forests, and native desert species to create an ecosystem that thrives instead of just survives.
By living this way, we hope to demonstrate a different future—one where human innovation and ecological responsibility go hand in hand. If small communities like ours can do it, why can’t entire cities? The eco-village movement isn’t just about escaping the old system—it’s about proving that a better one is possible today.
Health and Wellness
at Happy Castle
Living in the desert can be demanding and at Happy Castle, we recognize that true sustainability isn’t just about the land—it’s about the people who live on it. A thriving community depends on the well-being of its members, so our community Vision Documents prioritize health and vitality in all its forms: physical, mental, and emotional. Wellness at Happy Castle isn’t just about your individual habits—it’s a shared commitment to taking care of ourselves, each other, and the place we call home. We all play a role in building a home we want to live in. Our Phase One and Phase Two Plans include:
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A communal gym, yoga space, bike-sharing, and miles of trails to keep our bodies strong.
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Peer support groups, meditation spaces, and quiet retreats for personal reflection.
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A bathhouse, sauna, and garden spaces for relaxation, self-care, and stress relief.
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Homegrown produce, communal meals, and a focus on regenerative food practices.
PHYSICAL FITNESS
& MOVEMENT
Our bodies are our greatest tools, and maintaining strength, health, and resilience is essential for off-grid living. To support this, we’re building a communal gym, a dedicated yoga space, and miles of hiking and biking trails, encouraging movement and physical fitness as a daily practice. Whether lifting weights, stretching at sunrise, or trekking through the desert, we embrace activity as a way to stay strong and connected to our environment.
BATHHOUSE
& SAUNA
For relaxation and self-care, our communal bathhouse and sauna will provide a much-needed escape from the desert’s harsh elements. Heat therapy, cold plunges, and simple moments of stillness offer a chance to unwind, detox, and relieve stress. These rituals of renewal aren’t just luxuries—they’re essential to maintaining energy and well-being in a demanding environment.
MENTAL HEALTH
& EMOTIONAL SUPPORT
Mental and emotional well-being are just as important. Life in a communal setting requires communication, reflection, patience, and support, so we’ve cultivated spaces and processes for meditation, peer support groups, conflict resolution, and quiet retreats where residents can recharge. Whether through structured group discussions or moments of solitude beneath the open sky, we ensure that everyone has room for personal growth and emotional balance.
NUTRITIOUS
& SUSTAINABLE FOOD
Finally, we believe food is medicine, and what we eat directly impacts how we feel. At Happy Castle, our long term agricultural goals include a focus on nutritious, homegrown, organic food, communal meals, and regenerative agriculture practices that nourish both body and land. By growing our own food and sharing meals together, we're creating a culture of health that is deeply intertwined with sustainability and community.
Education and Skill-sharing
A culture of lifelong learning
Happy Castle is more than just a place to live—it’s a place to grow. We believe knowledge should be open, accessible, and shared, not locked behind institutions. By fostering lifelong learning, skill-sharing, and hands-on experience, we empower individuals while strengthening the collective.
Our workshops and classes cover natural building, off-grid living, permaculture, sustainable design, and creative arts. Whether constructing Superadobe domes, converting skoolies, or setting up rainwater collection, members gain practical skills that support both personal independence and our larger mission—making sustainable, intentional living more accessible and expanding the planet-saving eco-village movement.
Learning happens beyond the classroom through mentorship and apprenticeship. Experienced builders, artists, and craftspeople guide members in collaborative projects, while a communal library offers books, online courses, and instructional materials for self-directed study.
We also host visiting instructors and guest speakers—activists, artists, and visionaries who bring fresh ideas and techniques. Happy Castle Art Camp isn’t just about building a community for ourselves—it’s about creating a global network of natural builders and alternative thinkers. By providing resources and support, we help manifest our collective highest potential, bridging the gap between intentional communities and the larger eco-village movement.
More than education, Happy Castle offers access to tools, materials, and workspaces so creativity can thrive. Affordable workshops and volunteer opportunities allow visitors to learn and contribute, while residents have unlimited access to shared maker spaces, removing financial barriers to skill development. Whether you want to sculpt, weld, garden, sew, or engineer, the resources and community support are here to fuel your curiosity and ambition.
By fostering education, experimentation, and mutual support, Happy Castle isn’t just teaching people how to build homes—it’s cultivating a movement that redefines how we live, work, and create together. Don’t just imagine a better future—build one.
consensus-based
decision
Making
at Happy Castle
Art Camp
At Happy Castle, governance is rooted in consensus-based decision-making, a process that ensures that all voices are heard, valued, and considered in shaping our collective future. Unlike majority rule, which can create winners and losers, consensus focuses on collaboration, compromise, and mutual understanding, to implement decisions that reflect the collective best interest of the community.
What Is
consensus-based
Governance?
Consensus is a decision-making process in which participants work together to reach an agreement that everyone can support. Rather than a simple vote where the majority dictates the outcome, consensus prioritizes open dialogue, thoughtful deliberation, and creative problem-solving. The goal is to build broad support for decisions rather than enforcing choices that leave part of the community feeling unheard or alienated.
Why We Use Consensus at Happy Castle
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Inclusive & Democratic – Everyone has a say, ensuring that decisions reflect the needs and desires of the community rather than just a majority faction.
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Stronger, More Thoughtful Decisions – Consensus requires in-depth discussion, resulting in decisions that are well-considered and widely supported. Final decisions are often the result of several changes or iterations to the original proposition.
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Fosters Cooperation & Trust – The process encourages active listening, empathy, problem-solving, and compromise, strengthening the bonds between community members.
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Reduces Conflict & Alienation – By making sure no one is completely overruled, we prevent resentment and disengagement, giving everyone a voice in shaping the final outcome.
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Encourages Collective Responsibility – When everyone has a hand in shaping decisions, there's greater commitment to following through on them.
Consensus Minus Three
OUR APPROACH TO PRACTICAL DECISION MAKING
While our goal is always full consensus, we recognize that achieving 100% agreement on complex issues can sometimes be unrealistic, especially in a growing and evolving community. To prevent deadlock while maintaining inclusivity, we use a modified model called Consensus Minus Three.
How Consensus Minus Three Works
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A proposal is discussed, refined, and adjusted based on community input.
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The group works toward broad agreement, ensuring all perspectives are considered.
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If consensus cannot be reached but only three or fewer members actively oppose the decision, it can still move forward.
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Those in dissent are encouraged to share their concerns, and efforts are made to accommodate them whenever possible.
Why We Use Consensus Minus Three
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Prevents Deadlock – Without a fallback mechanism, a single objection could block decisions indefinitely. Consensus Minus Three allows forward movement while still prioritizing dialogue and compromise.
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Encourages Engagement – Members are still heard and have the opportunity to influence outcomes, even if they’re in the minority, permanently retaining "I told you so" rights if something goes wrong.
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Balances Efficiency with Inclusion – This method ensures that decisions are widely supported without being stalled by an individual’s rigid opposition.
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Protects Against Groupthink – Dissenting voices are valuable, and Consensus Minus Three ensures that alternative perspectives are considered rather than automatically overridden.
By combining the cooperative spirit of full consensus with the practicality of a fallback mechanism, Consensus Minus Three allows Happy Castle to remain flexible, inclusive, and effective in decision-making. This system ensures that governance reflects the community’s needs without getting stuck in gridlock or alienating minority viewpoints.
Consensus
OUR COMITTMENT TO COLLABORATION
Consensus-based decision-making is not just a method—it’s a core philosophy of how we govern and coexist at Happy Castle. In our radical quest to create an experimental community centered around sustainability and cooperative-business, consensus-based governance arose as the best tool for reimagining our relationship to life and work. It reflects our belief in shared power, mutual respect, and collective responsibility. By engaging in thoughtful discussion, working through disagreements with care, and striving for solutions that work for everyone, we create a stronger, more united community.
At the end of the day, Happy Castle isn’t just about building structures—it’s about building a way of life that challenges mainstream systems of governance and demonstrates that another way of living, working, and deciding together is possible.
COLLECTIVE DECISION MAKING
When Do We Use Consensus?
At Happy Castle, we don’t use consensus for every single decision—many day-to-day choices are handled at the Community Camp level, with members trusted to operate semi-autonomously within their roles. However, consensus is essential for decisions that significantly impact the community as a whole, like new construction, budget allocation, and policy changes.
To maintain transparency and communal input, we hold regular Town Council Meetings, essentially general assemblies where all members are encouraged to participate in decision-making, coming together to propose initiatives, discuss major decisions, and implement important matters.
TOWN
COUNCIL
MEETINGS
Community Implementation of Public Proposals
Town Council Meetings are not necessarily a forum for airing individual grievances or expressing issues for the first time, but rather a platform for collaboratively modifying and implementing consensus-based solutions and strategies. Individual issues should be brought to the attention of the various Community Camps which they concern prior to Town Council Meetings so they may attempt addressing it beforehand, including developing solutions to propose to the larger community for implementation.
Community Camps are expected to submit public Agenda Items to the Town Council before meetings to ensure efficient and productive discussions. Agenda items range from updates and progress reports to new project proposals, changes in Camp strategies, and requests for additional funding. Pods and committees handle most routine decisions independently, but if an issue arises that affects the broader community, it can be escalated to a Town Council meeting for discussion and consensus. Generally this process involves individual members or Camps including the issue and proposed solutions as part of a Camp's Monthly Report. All Agenda Items are public and subject to collaborative discourse and modification prior to Town Council Meetings.
These assemblies ensure that governance remains democratic and decisions reflect the collective will rather than the objectives of individual Camps or members. Town Council Meetings are generally facilitated by a rotating team of skilled community members to ensure each Agenda Item is adequately addressed while keeping meetings efficient. Items requiring consensus include:
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Changes to community policies or governance structures
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Allocation of communal funds for major projects
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Approval of large-scale infrastructure or land-use projects
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Amendments to the guiding principles of Happy Castle
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Resolving major disputes that affect multiple members or pods, including exclusions
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Partnerships or collaborations with external organizations, including accepting new permanent members
THE TOWN COUNCIL
The Highest Position of Community Leadership
at Happy Castle Art Camp
The Town Council is comprised of elected representatives and serves as the primary organizing and legislative body of Happy Castle Art Camp, tasked with aligning all Community Camps and Camp Councils with our broader mission of building a thriving eco-village and cooperative business. While most major decisions are subject to consensus, the Town Council holds a special responsibility in shaping the long-term strategies, budgets, and policies that guide the community’s growth.
Council members are entrusted with establishing and implementing overarching plans, ensuring that all projects and initiatives contribute to our shared vision. They work closely with Camp Councils to assess ongoing needs, evaluate proposals, and, when necessary, create new Community Camps to address emerging priorities. By maintaining a big-picture perspective, the Town Council ensures that individual efforts remain cohesive, sustainable, and mission-driven.
One of the Council’s key responsibilities is overseeing and prioritizing spending to support both immediate infrastructure needs and long-term sustainability. They develop annual and quarterly budgets, allocate resources for essential projects, and ensure that all financial decisions align with the community’s values and economic viability. This includes funding for housing expansion, communal resources, festival planning, and income-generating ventures.
Beyond financial oversight, the Town Council also facilitates strategic decision-making and policy development. They craft well-researched proposals on governance, resource management, and community operations, which are then presented to the broader membership for consensus-based approval. While their role is not to dictate decisions, they are responsible for creating a coherent roadmap for Happy Castle’s future.
Due to the high level of trust and responsibility required, Town Council members must demonstrate strong leadership, collaboration, and commitment to the community’s long-term success. Their work ensures that Happy Castle remains not just a collection of independent Camps, but a unified, thriving experiment in self-sufficiency, creativity, and cooperative living.
COMMUNAL LABOR
COLLABORATION & COOPERATION
TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAMWORK
Living at Happy Castle is built upon a foundation of collaboration and cooperation, core values essential to the success of any commune. As members of a self-sustaining community, it is expected that everyone contributes to the many aspects of life at the campground. This is not only necessary for the smooth operation of our day-to-day activities but also fosters a sense of shared purpose and belonging.
Labor contributions at Happy Castle span across a wide range of tasks in many different areas. For example, members are responsible for the construction and maintenance of housing and infrastructure, building new Earthbag domes or maintaining our solar and wind power systems. They participate in growing food, preparing meals, cleaning the communal facilities, and tending to our permaculture gardens and landscaping. We'll also operate a number of onsite businesses and income-generating ventures, from the Desert Nursery to Skoolie Factory, all of which require input and participation from our members. These efforts help the community achieve financial self-sufficiency while providing members with meaningful work that supports the collective.
Beyond this day-to-day labor, members also play a role in creating guest experiences, ensuring our campground is welcoming and our festival runs smoothly. This includes everything from selling food and ensuring the comfort of guests to erecting art installations that inspire and delight visitors. Every person’s contribution helps create the magic of Happy Castle, making the experience both for residents and visitors one of creativity, sustainability, and community spirit.
In essence, being part of Happy Castle means embracing the shared responsibility of building and maintaining a thriving off-grid community, where each of our unique skills and talents are valued and we all play a part in shaping the future of the commune. So get to work and help us build a desert commune in the Land of Enchantment.
COMMUNITY CAMPS
CAMP COUNCILS
& TOWN COUNCIL
Decentralized Leadership
Rather than a rigid hierarchy, Happy Castle operates primarily through Community Camps, small working groups dedicated to different aspects of communal life. These are essentially specialized Pods & Committees responsible for the various functions necessary to living and working at Happy Castle Art Camp. These pods allow members to contribute in areas aligned with their skills and interests while ensuring that essential functions of the community are handled effectively. Some key pods include:
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Infrastructure & Construction – Oversees building projects, maintenance, and long-term development planning.
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Food Production & Sustainability – Manages gardening, permaculture, food sourcing, and waste reduction.
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Events & Festivals – Organizes gatherings, workshops, and the Happy Castle Art Festival.
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Finance & Resource Management – Handles budgeting, communal funds, and resource allocation.
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Conflict Resolution & Mediation – Supports healthy communication and problem-solving within the community.
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Water Management - Manages water resources and oversees the construction of additional rainwater catchment and storage capacity.
Rather than organizing the commune with a highly centralized leadership model, we've decentralized decision making as much as possible while still maintaining specialized roles and oversight. Pods operate semi-autonomously in day-to-day decisions, including their individual roles and organizational structures, but remain accountable to the larger community in significant ways, including by providing regular updates on their projects, progress, income, and expenses via Town Council Meetings. Camps also have to request and justify budget and funding increases, ensuring that major changes are discussed transparently and collectively.
COMMUNITY CAMPS
Pods, Planning, and Businesses
Happy Castle is as much of a start-up mission-driven business venture as it is a commune. We understand that this type of set-up might not be for everyone who is searching for a community to call home, but for some of us, it’s exactly what we’ve been missing.
While as a community, we’re designing for ultimate connectedness, as a business entity, some level of separation is necessary. Thus Happy Castle will be composed of a number of income-generating businesses as well as various “public-service departments” necessary to its operations. Just like society at large, each one of these functions benefits from its own specialized leadership and support. Not everyone has the greenest-thumb or the computer-skills, but not everyone has to when we have farmers and coders. As a communal village, not only do we benefit from eliminating redundancy in common-spaces and resource-sharing, we also benefit from the diversity of skills, abilities, and experiences that each of us bring to the table. So whether you're an entrepreneur, construction worker, or you flip patties at McDonald's, we can build a better life together than we can alone.
We call these specialized pods Camps. For example, Camp Cholla may be responsible for managing Happy Castle’s social-media while Camp Mesquite ensures the success of our permaculture projects. In addition to designating a business or administrative area, each Camp functions as a sort of pod for our members. Think of this almost like a neighborhood except your neighbors are your coworkers and teammates.
Although together neighborhoods make-up a cohesive city, like Happy Castle Art Camp, separately each one is special and unique. New members can apply for a particular Camp depending on their interests and abilities or be assigned to one depending on Happy Castle’s current needs. As you build your life at Happy Castle, we encourage you to serve on multiple boards and committees from other Camps depending on your particular strengths, but you’ll always have a unique responsibility to your Camp in terms of promoting it’s specific culture of community life as well as contributing to the successful operation of its business or administrative aspects. While some of our people might stick with their first placement for life, indulging in their passion for gardening, teaching, conservation, or whatever else their neighbors might need, others might prefer to move around and experience life in multiple Camps.
At Happy Castle, we’re searching for synergy and harmony with one’s work-life balance by combining and sharing resources, eliminating redundancies, and promoting common wellbeing. By working together, we don’t have to live the majority of our lives working at a job we hate for wages that barely subsist us in a society that seems designed to alienate us. We can create a revolutionary home together that frees us from this oppressive consumerist system, allowing us to create the rich, happy, meaningful lives that we deserve and build the world we want. If you think you can help bring the Happy Castle vision to life, we encourage you to apply to one or more of our Camps. We’re looking for artists, visionaries, and leaders like you so find your Camp and do what you love!
Camps
FIND YOUR CAMP
and then change the name because ours suck!
Camp Accountancy
Camp Kitchen
Camp Commune Planning and Administration
Although most camps will be responsible for their own accounting, Camp Accountancy serves as a supervisory board responsible for ensuring proper financial record-keeping of the camp as a whole for tax purposes, including expense-reports, write-offs, salaries, and budgets. They will identify areas for improvement across various camps in terms of lowering costs, increasing profits, and taking advantage of local tax-incentives. Camp Accountancy also takes requests and makes recommendations for the dispersal of funds to Camps from the Common Treasury. However, budgets are decided through consensus in Town Councils.
Camp Clean
Camp Clean is responsible for ensuring a clean and sanitary environment for our members and guests. While everyone should strive to reduce personal waste and clean up after themselves, Camp Clean is there to pick up after as well as perform routine cleaning of various common facilities. All members living onsite, regardless of which camp they belong to will be expected to contribute to cleaning duties, however Camp Clean has the additional responsibilities of designing schedules, allocating labor, ordering supplies, and eliminating inefficiencies.
Camp Kitchen is our chefs, servers, and meal-planners. They’re responsible of bulk-food purchases, planning menus, and ensuring timely and tasty meals are available for our members and guests. Although members of Camp Kitchen perform the more technical aspects of managing a cafeteria for 100+ people seven days a week, nearly every member will share in weekly cafeteria responsibilities including cooking and dishwashing.
Camp Construction and Building
Camp Construction are the heavy lifters behind many of the projects and designs of other Camps as well as the main planners and builders for the physical infrastructure of the intentional-community itself. They’ll seek to promote ecological, self-sufficient, and passive building materials, design, and construction wherever possible. Eventually they will offer their expertise as a service to neighbors in the region to help realize our aspirational goals of providing sustainable affordable housing to the world.
This administrative body is elected by other members and is responsible for the administration of daily communal life including organizing strategy and decision-making meetings, new member onboarding and expulsion, and finances. They will closely coordinate with every other camp to identify short and long term goals, measure progress, provide reports and transparency and promote efficient functioning of the whole camp.
Camp Greenhouse
Camp greenhouse is responsible for designing and operating our greenhouse infrastructure. In the desert, growing non-native water-intensive plant species for consumption can be extremely challenging without thoughtful design. Our mission at Happy Castle is to be self-sufficient so Camp Greenhouse will store not only to create the necessary systems to provide for our members, but also work with Camp Rainwater, Camp Permaculture, Camp Compost and Camp Kitchen.
Camp Rainwater Harvesting and Storage
Camp Rainwater is responsible for realizing the aspirational goals of total water self-reliance at Happy Castle. They’ll identify efficient and cost-effective ways of building the physical infrastructure necessary to capture, collect, and conserve hundreds of thousands of gallons of rainwater each year. They’ll also ensure the responsible management of water resources, including its best-use prioritization in relation to the various needs and opportunities of the camp. They’ll work closely with other Camps to encourage sitewide integration as well as personal-accountability through a water-conscious culture.
Camp Land Plan
Camp Land Plan is responsible for designing and implementing a conducive, cohesive and sustainable land-use plan to be used in Happy Castle’s various stages of development. This involves integrating all of its various structures, art, roads, landscaping, and open-space, including those yet to be built or imagined. As such, its members should plan on working closely with every other camp, collaborating on the design and placement of essentially every structure.
Camp Campground
Camp Campground aims to build and operate a thriving campground onsite where visitors can come and explore the camp. Besides designing beautiful campsites and common areas, they’ll serve as the Camp Hosts for our many hundreds of year-round visitors, organizing campsite reservations, cabin rentals, and the maintenance and operation of camp facilities. They’ll work with Camp Shade, Camp permaculture, Camp Land Plan, Camp Art Design and others to collaborate on the placement and design of various sites as well as coordinating especially closely during special-events. The year-round campground is expected to be a core revenue-stream for Happy Castle, so members should seek ways to ensure its health and profitability.
Camp Classroom
Camp Box Office
Camp Classroom will coordinate the planning and execution of various classes to be offered to the public and hosted onsite. They are essentially the main interface between casual guests, interns, and current members hoping to learn new skills and the various Camps onsite that can accommodate those desires. Camp Classroom will coordinate with a number of campgrounds such as Camp Construction and Building, Camp Art Planning and Execution, Camp Greenhouse, Camp Rainwater, Camp Solar, Camp Permaculture and many others to develop various classes, workshops, and programs for our guests and members. This is expected to be an integral component of the revenue-generating aspect of the Happy Castle mission, so members should seek ways to ensure health and profitability.
Camp Box Office is tasked with all associated responsibilities of running our Box Office including ticketing for large and small events, ticket transfers, guest check-ins. They will work closely with Camp Campground for cabin rentals and campsite reservations and Camp Classes to organize special events.
Camp Art Design and Execution
Camp Art collaborates with community members and the public to design and implement art projects onsite. The Happy Castle Art Camp, as a whole, is intended to serve not only as the physical infrastructure for self-sufficiently sustaining 100+ people, but as an interactive art-garden that inspires wonder and awe for travelers from around the world. We intend to integrate art into every aspect of the camp from the buildings and landscaping to the people and infrastructure. As such, Camp Art will probably work closely with many other Camps, like Camp Rainwater, Camp Solar, Camp Permaculture, Camp Construction, Camp Land Plan, and Camp Greenhouse to design projects that supplement and enhance one another.
Camp Solar is responsible for the design and installation of solar-panel, wind, geothermal, and battery systems that meet the community and campgrounds ever growing needs. We someday hope to be able to provide RV-hookups year-round, electric-car charging, dazzling laser-light-shows at our festivals, and even net-metering as a , so eventually our power generation goals will far exceed our needs. Camp Solar and Wind will work closely with other Camps to design systems that are functional, efficient, beautiful, and cohesively integrated into the landscape.
Camp Solar and Wind
Camp Permaculture and Regeneration
A central component of Happy Castle’s mission is to regenerate the landscape on which we reside to help it better support agriculture and natural ecosystems. Camp Permaculture is tasked with designing and implementing a site-plan including landscape architecture that promotes the goals of water conservation, ecology, farming, and regenerating desert soil and ecosystem.
Camp Shade aims to build adequate shade structures for members and guests alike. It gets hot in the desert and shade is an invaluable reprieve. Besides making Happy Castle more attractive as a venue and campground in general, ample shade can foster community and interaction by creating vibrant public gathering spaces, protected gardens, and luxurious campsites underneath it. Camp Shade should work closely with Camp Solar, Camp Rainwater, Camp Land Planning, Camp Campground and even Camp Art to ensure their projects are mutually compatible and beneficial. To sustain a village of 100 people, we estimate we’ll need to build at least 10 acres of non-permeable surface area for rainwater collection. For life in the desert we estimate we’ll need just as much shade.
Camp Shade
Camp Compost
Camp Poop
Camp Waste Management
Camp Waste Management is responsible for ensuring the proper disposal of garbage and waste. They aim to emphasize ways to reduce overall waste in the first place by creating a waste-conscious culture onsite as well as repurposing, recycling, and reusing wherever possible.
Camp Compost ensures that nothing goes to waste at Happy Castle. Essential components of our mission at Happy Castle are to live self-sufficiently, sustainably, and to regenerate the desert landscape on which we subside. As such they’ll be responsible for developing systems which minimize the waste of organic materials generated onsite. They’ll work closely with Camp Waste Management, Camp Greenhouse, Camp kitchen, Camp Poop, and Camp Permaculture to collaborate on ways to best reduce waste and reuse organic materials.
Someone has to do it. Camp Poop is tasked with designing and maintaining various sewage facilities, including vault-toilets and RV dumping areas. They’ll work closely with Camp Campground and Camp Compost to ensure the pleasant functioning of onsite human-waste disposal facilities.
Camp Merchandise
Camp Irrigation and Plumbing
Camp Merchandise is responsible for designing and producing merchandise for sale online and onsite at Happy castle as well as managing sales. They’ll work closely with other camps to identify and develop new product lines for Happy Castle from clothing and crafts to food and beverages.
Camp Irrigation will design most of the watering systems for Happy Castle, working closely with Camp Rainwater, Camp Greenhouse and Camp Permaculture to create efficient and innovative systems that use water wisely.
Camp Laundry maintains the onsite laundromat in good working order for use by members and guests and washes common items such as tablecloths, towels and sheets for our rental cabins, ensuring that only eco-friendly detergents are used. Members and guests are generally expected to do their own personal laundry. Camp laundry will generate some minor revenue for the camp from guests so it should be operated efficiently.
Camp Laundry
Camp Festival Planning and Execution
Camp Art collaborates with community members and the public to design and implement art projects onsite. The Happy Castle Art Camp, as a whole, is intended to serve not only as the physical infrastructure for self-sufficiently sustaining 100+ people, but as an interactive art-garden that inspires wonder and awe for travelers from around the world. We intend to integrate art into every aspect of the camp from the buildings and landscaping to the people and infrastructure. As such, Camp Art will probably work closely with many other Camps, like Camp Rainwater, Camp Solar, Camp Permaculture, Camp Construction, Camp Land Plan, and Camp Greenhouse to design projects that supplement and enhance one another.
Camp Social Media and Online Presence
Camp Social Media is responsible for producing and distributing content for Happy Castle across their social media as well as interacting with our followers on those channels. They’ll collaborate with other Camps for content ideas and opportunities. Camp Social Media will also continuously optimize our website and other digital assets. Our online identity will likely serve as one of our main income-generating sources, so members should seek ways to expand and capitalize upon our online presence.