The House of One People

The House of One People was born out of a rustic dairy barn. Built at the turn of the century in the post and beam tradition, the staid old barn provides the aesthetic and spiritual base for the genesis of a contemporary architectural delight. It contains a spectacular Main Hall, as well as the offices for the Maezumi Institute and Zen Peacemakers staff. The center also includes three Conference Rooms, an upper mezzanine, meeting rooms and sacred spaces.

The sacred main hall functions as a gathering and welcoming hall, a performance area, or a communal celebration space, this hall - some 2025 square feet, has a 45-foot ceiling at the peak. The east wall encloses a circular window that broadcasts the light of the rising sun, and woodwork of the oldest part of the barn, judged to be late 1700's, is of hand-hewn chestnut: contiguous cross beams (8” x 8”) cut and shaped by hand, span the fort-five foot expanse, speaking to the immensity of the trees they were cut from.

Extending out from the rear of the building, the stone paved Courtyard incorporates a geometric pattern. Built-in stone benches sculpt the space, inviting users to meet, eat lunch, take a break and chat with friends. Beautiful deciduous trees provide shade to the courtyard in the summer, while allowing sunlight and warmth in winter.

The Ellen Burstyn Amphitheater

The principles of simplicity, beauty and longevity grace the landscape of a fitting, living tribute to a woman who has dedicated a lifetime to the joy-and, sometimes, the anguish-of creative expression. The Ellen Burstyn Amphitheater is located close to the heart of the campus. The Amphitheater will be made from terraces sculpted into the hillside and will be the main stage for cultural and artistic performances.

With an audience of 350 people, it is the ideal space for cultural and artistic performances. Actors understand only too well the need for a welcoming, versatile space. The Burstyn Amphitheater will not only be a meeting place of cultures, minds and spirits, but also an intersection for peacemaking and the arts.

The Ancestral Hall

Arriving onto the campus, the first thing that strikes the visitor is the visual gateway formed by two buildings, the campus library and the Ancestral Hall. Both buildings emulate Chinese lanterns. The Ancestral Hall is a sacred space to honor and connect with the founders of:

      the Maezumi Institute
      the Zen Peacemakers
      the House of One People

and with people whose ideas and compassionate actions have influenced and inspired the vision of Peacemakers throughout time and space.

The Library

The Library, also designed in the image of a Chinese lantern, mirrors the Ancestral Hall across the way. The library collection will include writings by contemporary authors and teachers as well as works distilling the knowledge and wisdom of the major religions and cosmologies. The library offers myriad opportunities for the personal enrichment and spiritual guidance of visitors, students, staff, teachers and friends of the Maezumi Institute.

The Wellness Center

The Wellness Center offers space and inspiration for the healing of body, mind and spirit. The centers integrated components are constructed with beautiful natural materials. Housed in and around these buildings are the yoga center and contemplation space, a cedar sauna and open-air hot tub, showers, massage rooms and other spaces for body and energy work, movement and physical care.

 

The Yurt Village

Yurts have been used as nomadic shelters in Central Asia for centuries. The Pacific yurt used in our Yurt Village is a modern adaptation. Circular in design, it combines a beautiful wood frame and durable fabric. The interior of each yurt is bathed in natural light admitted through the central dome skylight.

Fifteen yurts provide four-season accommodations for visitors, students and guests. Built with breathable skins, they are fourteen feet in diameter, tucked amid deciduous forest to balance shade, warmth and comfort. Set on the crest of a ridge, the yurts offer remarkable views of gurgling Spaulding Brook in the ravine below from their observation decks.

The Children’s Area

Every well-balanced life needs a place to play after the work is done. Our campus has a special space for children of all ages. Whether you enjoy team sports, hanging around on the jungle gym, or just seeing if those new sneakers really do make you run faster and jump higher, The Children's Area gives everyone the room and the materials to play as they choose. The playground is made from natural materials by local craftsmen. The area includes space for live animals, sports of all kinds, a jungle gym, climbing trees, and a meeting place for kid-friendly workshops in creativity and fun.

 

The Peacemaker Farmhouse

Once a national hotbed of political thought and radical ideas, the original Peacemaker Farmhouse Ñ the former home of folks like Marshall Bloom, Sam Lovejoy and Harvey Wasserman Ñ continues to host visionaries from all walks of life and all corners of the globe. Wholly renovated and refurbished, the Farmhouse will be home to interns, visitors and staff members, ensuring a rich exchange of ideas and cultures for years to come.

 

The Greenhouse

An annex to the original Farmhouse, the hotbed situated in the Greenhouse is the earth itself: an internal soil bed stocked with rich organic loam. Complementing the Peacemaker philosophy of permaculture, the herbs, flowers and vegetables grown in the central bed support the self-sufficiency of the campus kitchens. Seedlings and transplants for external gardens are grown in the planting areas around the perimeter of the internal space.

The Teacher-in-Residence Cottage

Our teachers-in-residence program would not be complete without a charming stand-alone cottage for our guests to enjoy their extended stay. The cottage is a cozy, secluded efficiency apartment nestled among the trees and gardens. The deck is a perfect place to observe the natural beauty of the surrounding campus.

The Main Plaza

The Main Plaza is the gateway to the campus. Pathways through gardens guide and welcome visitors immediately upon their arrival. The center of the plaza is landscaped with flowers, trees and stonework, and showcasing a unique sculpture made specifically for us by an accomplished artist. Beyond the sculpture, the main plaza opens up to reveal three uniquely designed meeting circles where participants can gather in the shade of native trees.

The Plaza Meeting Circles

Three Plaza Meeting Circles grace the outdoor areas surrounding the House of One People. These circles can be used for programs and meetings. From the Main Plaza, two or three steps descend to a spacious main circle, cast in red brick, where participants can meet in large or small groups. This sunken central meeting circle is landscaped with flowers and shrubs, dappled with the intermittent shade of nearby maples.

Two satellite circles grace the main plaza space. One is tucked into a wooded area at the north end of the barn. Another meeting circle is sculpted into the hillside just below the main hall.

The Permaculture

The entire campus strives toward local sustainability through collaborative agricultural programs and internships. There are fourteen varieties of fruits, eleven kinds of berries, an organic vegetable garden, and gourmet and medicinal herbs. Based on the principles of Permaculture, the gardens and orchards are the centerpieces for the Maezumi Institute's Sustainable Landscape initiatives.

Ellen's Pond

A draw for great blue herons and miscellaneous odd ducks, Ellen's pond is a natural haven for introspection, contemplation, and communion with nature. The shore offers a unique meeting space for groups.

The Upper Field Lotus Pond

The Lotus Pond anchors the northern reach of the campus, drawing visitors to its quiet shore to pause, reflect, and renew in the solitude of lapping water. The banks are planted with native flowering trees, shrubs and aquatic vegetation that draw wildlife and waterfowl as well as the occasional human pilgrim.

The Moss Garden

Adjacent to the Main Hall Courtyard and located below the library, the Moss Garden is an enchanted and secluded natural space complete with mountain laurels, mosses and whispering ferns. This garden is accessed through narrow and opposing passageways. Once inside, stepping stones lead down a path alongside a trickle of water coming from the pond upstream. Native mosses and ferns carpet the earth. This space is the most secluded garden on campus, conducive to the contemplative silence that allows us to be with ourselves.

The Children’s Area

Every well-balanced life needs a place to play after the work is done. Our campus has a special space for children of all ages. Whether you enjoy team sports, hanging around on the jungle gym, or just seeing if those new sneakers really do make you run faster and jump higher, The Children's Area gives everyone the room and the materials to play as they choose. The playground is made from natural materials by local craftsmen. The area includes space for live animals, sports of all kinds, a jungle gym, climbing trees, and a meeting place for kid-friendly workshops in creativity and fun.