What does it mean to be sustainable and resilient…and why does it matter?

The ideas of being sustainable and resilient have become somewhat cliché. Most people tend to think of environmental issues, but these ideas mean so much more. We all want to survive, we all want to keep doing whatever it is we enjoy and what is important to us.

Let’s define the terms –

In my own words drawn from Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary-

Sustainable – the ability to continue to use a resource indefinitely so that it is not depleted or permanently damaged. Whether it’s physical, mental, economic or environmental.

Resilient – the capability to withstand strain or shock without permanent damage.

To be sustainable and resilient we need to be able to continue what we are doing without depleting our resources and to withstand the inevitable challenges that come our way.

When your lifestyle breaks down your body you’re not sustainable or resilient. Your body can’t stand up to life stresses that inevitably happen, in comes sickness and disease.

If a business owner spends more money than he makes he is not sustainable or resilient. This is also true for an individual, a household or a government.

When we use our environmental resources faster than they can be renewed we are not sustainable or resilient.

I know that’s all fairly obvious, but how prepared are we really? Are you sustainable in what you do? Are you able to maintain your lifestyle under the inevitable strain and shock that is coming?

A lot of the difficulties we face today are caused by failing to plan to be sustainable and resilient. Health issues, economic issues, political and environmental issues and more. They are a result of using up resources without much forethought into what we are leaving behind when we are gone.

So how is this relevant to what we do at CWI and how we provide services to our customers?

We believe the practice of being sustainable and resilient starts right at home, with each individual and/or family. It starts with our lifestyle and choices. We don’t have to be an environmentalist, to think about being sustainable. We don’t have to be a prepper to understand the need to be resilient. However, if we approach life holistically then we should all be a little bit of both. We should put more thought into how our plans and actions affect our future and the future of the ones we love.

We do this by taking a holistic approach to custom home building. First, we help you define the right property. If you already own property, that is great! Second, we design a Master Plan for your property. A Master Plan will guide how you use the property, what resources you have or need and where you put your home. The Master Plan produces criteria that can now be used to design your home. We design your home to fit into the landscape and meet your needs. Now we can build your home knowing that we have put the same care into creating a sustainable and resilient space that we will put into the construction of your new home.

It is through intentional design and planning that you will become successful in living a sustainable and resilient lifestyle; for yourself, your loved ones and the generation to come.