Tiny homesteads in a forested mountain setting with Big Calm logo.

Big Calm Tiny Homesteads

  • Communities

About the Communities

  • Established
  • Ecological
  • Rural

Founding year

  • 2020

What we do

Big Calm is a permaculture-guided “tiny homesteads” development, located in the beautiful Kootenays of British Columbia, Canada.
Our pillars are: permaculture guided, resilient infrastructure, convivial community, and cooperative equity.
We offer spacious fully-serviced (power, water, septic, high-speed internet) pads for pro-built tiny houses in a serene natural “pocket neighbourhood” setting. Amenities include a community garden, greenhouse, forest trails, shared washer/dryer, and more.
There is currently one short-term rental unit (The Pocket Getaway), three long-term THoW rental pads (all occupied), and nine forthcoming sites in our next phase, which includes fractional co-ownership of the full 37-acre property and its assets via an equity housing cooperative model.

Our Mission

Big Calm is a premier permaculture-guided cohousing community for tiny homes, located in the heart of the Kootenays (Slocan Valley, British Columbia, Canada).

  • Purpose
  • Ecological
  • Community type
  • Cohousing
  • Ecovillage
  • Sustainability practices
  • Permaculture design

Commemorative dates

  • January 1, 2020
  • Started planning
  • January 1, 2022
  • Started living together

Video

Gallery

  • 7 Total members
  • Open to new members
  • Open to visitors
Total
9

How to join

The best place to start is to complete our online application form. We’ll then reach out for an e-meeting and invite you for a tour.

Basic expectations or agreements for members

Big Calm operates a short-term guest-rental tiny house: The Pocket Getaway.

Primary decision-making authority

  • Small Leadership Group

A few people (not elected by the broader community) make the major decisions.

Decision-making process

  • Modified Consensus

Generally seek agreement, but have backup methods when consensus isn’t reached.

Governance structure

  • Collaborative/Horizontal

Power and responsibility are shared relatively equally among members.

Economic model

  • Independent Finances

Members maintain separate personal finances with minimal sharing.

Economic scenarios for this community

  • There is a one-time fee, investment, or share purchase to join the community separate from accessing housing
  • Members need to pay fees, dues, or similar to live there on a per month or per year basis
  • There is a labor obligation
  • Members typically need to have their own job or other personal source of income to cover their expenses while living in the community?

Additional economic information

Join fee: Yes
Regular fees: Yes
Labor: Encouraged or suggested

Shared resources and amenities that are accessible to everyone in the community

Common House, Garden(s), Greenhouse(s), Workshop, Outbuilding(s), Fire pit, Internet

Frequency of communal meals

  • 1-3 times per month

Dietary restriction

  • People can cook and eat what they want in their own residence

Substance use culture

  • Substance use appears in public spaces but no pressure
  • Substance use occurs primarily at celebrations or ceremonies

Gender composition

  • Roughly balanced (no group over 60%)

Age demographics

  • Mixed adults (few or no children)

Property status

  • Privately owned

Property owner

  • By a single individual, couple, or Family Trust

Setting

  • Rural

Countryside locations with significant distance from urban centers.

Community type

  • Cohousing

    Private homes with shared common facilities, designed for neighborly
    interaction while maintaining independence.

  • Ecovillage

    Integrated communities designed around ecological principles with sustainable living practices.

Sustainability approach

  • Permaculture design

Land practices in our community

  • The community practices permaculture

Self-produced energy

  • Over 66%

Energy sources used

  • Photovoltaic Solar

Self-produced food

  • Up to 33%

Local, organic, or fair trade food

  • 33 - 66%

Food systems

  • Community garden
  • Greenhouse / aquaponics

Wastewater management

  • Septic system
  • Land area size
    37 acres

Guest Book

Written reviews are available for plus members. Click here to upgrade.

Location

  • BC, Canada

Promoted Needs and Offers

Offer
  • Housing For Rent + Shared
4 weeks ago

Cohousing Home for Rent in Snohomish WA

Beautifully maintained and spacious home in the woods! The first floor features an open-concept kitchen with granite countertops and island off the great room, which includes a river rock wood fireplace in the living room. Large windows and skylights let the light shine in year round. Walk out the French doors onto a covered patio and pavered area for outdoor living. A bonus room is included on this floor in addition to the single-car garage. A large laundry room with lots of storage and a 3/4 bathroom complete the first floor. Solid oak flooring is throughout the home. The second floor includes 3 nicely sized bedrooms and a bathroom with a large soaker tub, dual sinks, and newly remodeled shower enclosure. Walk out the second floor to a large grassy area that is part of the shared community space. The top floor is a spacious room with skylights and a full bathroom. Total rooms is 3-4 bedrooms + office and 2-3/4 bathrooms. This home is part of the Sharingwood Cohousing community. The neighborhood incudes 23 acres of greenbelt where a stream flows during fall and winter. The common areas include a common house, play structures, a greenhouse, and community garden. Get to know your neighbors in this community of 29 single-family homes. Residents join teams and volunteer a few hours a month as participants in the community. Applications are subject to qualification requirements. Additional terms and conditions apply. Reach out to request a viewing! Owner pays HOA fees. Renter pays all utilities including water, garbage, electric, gas, and internet/cable. Renter maintains plants and gardens around home. Renters are expected to sign a cohousing agreement that outlines community expectations (available in advance upon request). Rent is $4500 per month, deposit $4500. Pets negotiable for additional damage deposit fee.
Offer
  • Communities with Openings
2 months ago

Do you feel called to help co-create a small, newly forming eco-spiritual community?

Old structures are crumbling. New ways of living are calling. We are answering that call. Wild Grace is an eco-spiritual community located in the Sierra foothills 30 minutes from Grass Valley, California. We recently completed new homes for those who feel called to our vision. Currently there are four of us living on this sacred 80 acres of land although we are a hub for an expanded neighborhood community. Many join us weekly for potlucks, expressive dance, Qi Gong, monthly musical gatherings, and seasonal celebrations in our temple, as well as tending to our orchard. We are excited to welcome others to join us on the land who are dedicating their lives to spiritual growth and ready to live in a more focused and intimate heart-centered lifestyle. Might that be you or someone you know? The fundamentals are simple. Spirit. We listen personally and collectively together most mornings, usually starting with a musical offering, a prayer, or a short reading, followed by about 40 minutes of what we call “sacred silence.” Heart Circles. About once a week we gather to share and listen. We are informed by authentic and compassionate communication practices. Nature. The land itself—an 80-acre oasis of field and forest perched above the wild and scenic South Yuba River—calls for our stewardship in the gardens, orchard, greenhouses, and general care. In turn, nature feeds us abundantly, both literally and spiritually. Interbeing. We join with others to share inspiration and connection as we host monthly gatherings of song, story and prayer that draws from the larger community in addition to other events we share with our closer neighbors. As we attend to these fundamentals, Grace flows to and through us—often in “Wild” or unexpected ways. Grace catalyzes through us, but is not something we possess. Because we all are connected, we feel that Grace actively transforms n

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A residential project: people live here as their primary home.

Organizations

An institution, business, network, or project that isn’t a residence (e.g. a learning center, farm, or network with no one living there full-time).

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