🏘️ Community Building Plans

Follow the ss-two-room-shelter plan but with double walls: build an outer wall, leave a 50mm gap, build an inner wall. Fill the gap with flattened cardboard for insulation. This creates an air-and-cardboard sandwich that dramatically improves heat retention.

Apply the ss-finishing-insulation plan. Seal all joints with Gorilla Glue. Add roofing tiles (ss-roof-tile plan) with weatherproof paneling on the exterior. Ensure the door opening has a curtain or bottle-wall door.

Place 2 pre-built AirGen V6 units inside the shelter. Connect each to a 10-port USB charging hub. Mount USB hubs on a shelf at table height. Run LED strip lighting from the AirGen DC output. Label each port with a number for tracking.

Place camp stove on a fireproof surface (metal sheet on Blok table). Set up soup pot and coffee percolator. If coastal with FreshWater access, connect a water line. If inland, set up rainwater collection barrel with a basic filter. Stock initial supplies: coffee, soup ingredients, cups.

Set up 2 folding tables as the build area. Distribute 4 tool kits (heated nail, pop rivets, Gorilla Glue, washers, caps). Put up a sign: 'Build a Blok → Earn $0.25'. Have a stack of sorted, clean bottles ready. Designate a quality check area where completed Bloks are inspected before payout.

The warming center is operational. Post operating hours. Designate a volunteer coordinator. Record the first visitors. Start building community.

Place 8 tables in the workspace with sufficient spacing (1.5m between stations for movement). Place a chair at each. Mount a laminated ss-blok plan at eye level at each station (tape to wall or clip to a stand). Run power to each station for the heated nail (extension cords or power strips from the AirGen/solar system). Ensure adequate lighting — LED strips powered by AirGen are ideal.

At each station: place 1 heated nail, 1 pop rivet gun, 1 bag of rivets (50+), 1 bottle Gorilla Glue, 1 bag of washers (30+), safety glasses, and gloves. Place supply bins of sorted bottles within reach of all stations. Place output bins at the end of the workspace near the QC inspection table. Refill materials between sessions.

Set up a QC inspection table at the output end. When a builder completes a Blok, they bring it to QC. Inspector checks: (1) All rivets secure — no loose or missed rivets. (2) Glue set — bottles sealed with no gaps. (3) Cap fitted — top cap in place. (4) No cracks or damage. PASS = tally for builder, Blok goes to output bin. FAIL = return to builder with specific feedback. At session end, calculate payouts: tallies × $0.25.

Place the serving table against a wall near a power outlet (AirGen, solar inverter, or mains). The table should be at waist height for easy pouring. If using a folding table, ensure legs are locked and stable — a tipped percolator full of hot coffee is a serious burn hazard. Run power to the table location. If using AirGen V6, ensure it can sustain 1200W continuous (percolator + kettle).

Place the percolator and kettle on the table. Fill the percolator with clean water and coffee grounds (follow manufacturer ratio — typically 1 tablespoon per cup). Turn on and let it brew (8-12 minutes for full pot). Fill the kettle for tea. Arrange cups, sugar, powdered milk, and tea bags in front. Place the wash basin below the table with hot soapy water for cup cleaning. Post the tally sheet and mark each cup served.

Construct a 3m × 4m area using Blok walls (follow ss-wall-section plan). Divide the space with a waist-height counter wall running across the middle. The back section (cooking zone) should be fully enclosed on 3 sides with an open or vented top for smoke and steam. The front section (serving/dining) can be open-sided or semi-enclosed. Cut a pass-through opening in the counter wall (60cm × 40cm) for plating.

Place the propane burner on a fire-resistant surface (concrete block, metal sheet, or packed earth) in the cooking zone. Position the stock pot on the burner. Ensure the propane tank is outside the cooking area or at least 1m from the burner with good ventilation. Install the fire extinguisher within arm's reach. If the cooking zone has a roof, ensure at least 30% of the top is open or install a vent pipe for smoke.

On the serving side of the counter wall: arrange bowls, spoons, bread, and ladles for service. Place the hand-wash station at the entrance — every person washes hands before receiving food. In the dining area, arrange seating in rows or clusters. Place a waste bin for disposables and a dish return area for reusable bowls.

Contact local food banks, grocery stores, and bakeries for donation partnerships. Many stores will donate end-of-day produce and bread if you provide a consistent pickup schedule. Create a weekly volunteer roster: each session needs 2 cooks (4-hour shift: prep + cook + serve) and 2 servers (2-hour shift: serve + clean). Post the schedule visibly. Track all food received and meals served on a log for grant reporting.

Construct a counter structure 1.5m wide × 0.5m deep × 1m tall using Bloks (follow ss-blok and ss-wall-section plans). Include two internal shelves: lower shelf at 20cm (for AirGen V6 unit) and top shelf at 90cm (for USB hub and cables). Leave the front open below the counter for the AirGen weight drop mechanism. Back should be enclosed to protect electronics.

Place the assembled AirGen V6 unit on the lower shelf. Connect the DC output to the voltage regulator (12V → 5V step-down). Connect the regulator output to the powered USB hub input. Test: activate the AirGen, measure output at the USB hub with a multimeter — should read 5V ± 0.2V at each port. If the hub has a power indicator LED, it should illuminate steadily. Secure all wiring with cable ties.

Attach 20 USB cables to the hub ports. Number each cable position 1-20 with a label or marker. Create 20 matching numbered tags. Hang the sign prominently. Brief the volunteer monitor on the process: person arrives → assign next available slot → hand over matching tag → phone charges → person returns tag → retrieve phone. Track daily usage on a tally sheet.

Build a lockable storage unit: a Blok-walled cabinet (1m × 0.5m × 1.5m) with a plywood or metal door and padlock. Alternatively, repurpose a metal locker, filing cabinet, or shipping container section. Inside, mount hooks for hanging tools (rivet guns, saws) and shelves for boxed items (drills, clamps). Label each position with the tool number that belongs there — if the hook is empty, the tool is checked out.

Permanently number every tool (engrave, stamp, or strong adhesive label). Create the master inventory list: Tool # | Description | Condition (new/good/fair) | Storage Position. Stock all tools in their designated positions. Photograph the fully stocked library for reference — this is the baseline inventory photo. Place the checkout log book at the library entrance or counter.

Brief all community members on the system: (1) Approach the librarian or self-serve station. (2) Sign out the tool: write Date, Tool #, Your Name, Due Date (default 24 hours). (3) Use the tool. (4) Return it clean and in working condition. (5) Librarian inspects and re-shelves. For power tools, the librarian provides a 2-minute safety briefing on first checkout. Overdue tools get a friendly follow-up — the goal is access, not punishment.

Construct a 2m wide × 0.5m deep × 1m tall counter from Blok walls. Behind the counter, build 3-tier display shelving (each shelf 30cm deep, spaced 40cm apart). Cover the area with a canopy for weather protection. The counter faces the public walkway; the shelving faces the market manager behind the counter.

Mount the listing board on the wall behind the counter or on a stand beside it. Prepare listing cards: each card shows Product Name, Seller Name, Price, Quantity Available. Pin cards to the board. Place sample products on the display shelves — at least one example of each product type (Blok, wall section, kit) so buyers can see and handle before purchasing.

Train the volunteer market manager: (1) Buyer selects a product from the listing board or display. (2) Manager confirms availability and price with seller. (3) Transaction completes (cash, barter, or AT Protocol token). (4) Manager records in the transaction log: Date, Product, Seller, Buyer, Price, Qty. (5) Listing card is updated (quantity reduced) or removed if sold out. Post the Trade Post hours visibly (e.g., 'OPEN: Mon/Wed/Fri 10am-2pm').

Follow the cm-warming-center plan completely. This is the first structure people see and use. It provides immediate shelter, warmth, and a gathering point. Once the Warming Center is operational, the site has a reason to exist and people have a reason to come. Add the Coffee Station (cm-coffee-station) inside the Warming Center on day one — it costs almost nothing and transforms the space immediately.

Build the MERF Sorting Station (cm-merf-sorting), Build Lab (cm-build-lab), and Delivery Hub (cm-delivery-hub) adjacent to each other. Materials flow: Delivery Hub receives → MERF sorts → Build Lab constructs. Position these on the same side of the campus, ideally nearest the road for truck access. Once operational, the site becomes a production facility — not just a shelter.

Build the Soup Kitchen (cm-soup-kitchen) and expand the Charging Station (cm-charging-station). Position the Soup Kitchen adjacent to the Warming Center — people move from warmth to food seamlessly. Position the Charging Station near the entrance or the Coffee Station — high visibility drives usage. These services keep people on-site for longer, which converts visitors into volunteers and builders.

Build the Trade Post (cm-trade-post) and Tool Library (cm-tool-library). Position them flanking the central commons area where foot traffic is highest. The Trade Post turns Build Lab output into revenue for builders. The Tool Library ensures every builder has access to what they need. These two facilities close the economic loop: build → sell → buy tools → build more.

Build the Grow Lab (cm-grow-lab) and Water Distribution Point (cm-water-distribution). These are the final independence facilities — food grown on-site and clean water distributed on-site mean the community is no longer dependent on external supply chains for basics. Install campus signage directing visitors to each facility. Establish the central commons as an open gathering and event space. The Community Hub is now complete and self-sustaining.

Lay plastic sheeting on the floor. Set up 4 crafting tables at child height. Arrange into 3 stations: (A) LID SORTING — 2 tables with 8 colour-coded sorting bins and a supply bucket of mixed lids. (B) BLOK PAINTING — 1 table with paint, brushes, and completed Bloks for decoration. (C) MINI-BUILD — 1 table with pre-drilled bottle blanks, glue, and example mini-structures. Post simple instruction signs at each station with pictures (many kids are pre-readers). Set up the badge wall (corkboard or poster) near the entrance.

Welcome kids and let them choose a station (or rotate through all three). Younger kids (5-8) start at Lid Sorting — it is the easiest and most satisfying. Older kids (9-12) can go straight to Mini-Build. Supervise each station: help with glue guns, encourage creative painting, count sorted lids. When a child hits a milestone (100 lids sorted, 10 Bloks painted, first mini-structure built), award the badge publicly — announce it, let other kids clap. Post the badge on the wall. At session end, kids help clean up (part of the programme). Collect all sorted lids and painted Bloks for use in production.

At the deployment site: clear a 2.5m × 2.5m area of debris, rocks, and vegetation. Level as much as possible (does not need to be perfect). Lay the ground tarp flat, centered on the cleared area. Unpack the emergency kit: lay out 4 wall sections, 4 roof panels, the door frame, rivet gun, and rivets. Assign roles: 2 people hold panels, 1 person rivets, 1 person fetches and positions.

Stand the first wall section upright on the tarp along one edge. Have 2 people hold it vertical. Stand the second wall section perpendicular to form a corner. Rivet the corner joint (minimum 4 rivets per corner). Repeat for walls 3 and 4 until all 4 walls form a 2m × 2m box. The wall with the door opening should face the desired direction. Check that all corners are plumb (vertical) — adjust by loosening and re-riveting if needed.

Lay the 4 roof panels across the top of the walls. Rivet each panel to the wall tops (minimum 2 rivets per edge). The panels should overlap slightly in the center for water runoff. Drape the roof tarp over the entire roof and down the sides by 15cm. Secure with ratchet straps running over the top and anchored to the base Bloks or ground stakes. In high wind, add extra weight (Bloks, sandbags) on the tarp edges.

Mount the door frame in the wall opening. Hang the door (plywood on hinges or tarp flap with ties). Install the latch (slide bolt, hook, or rope tie). Place the sleeping mat inside. The shelter is now weather-tight, private, lockable, and habitable. Brief the occupant: the shelter is wind- and rain-proof but not permanent — it is the bridge to a better solution. Connect them with the community hub for next steps (Warming Center, Build Lab, food service).