The Shambhala Eco Village Model is five home ecovillage model based construction system's architectural principle of economy and harmony. The Parabolic Stress Skin System - is a highly durable and thermally efficient building system. It is a unique ferrocement, cellular concrete and recycled waste material based system that has a very low eco-impact, is low cost and is integrated into a curvilinear architectural style that exemplifies the same economy of form and harmony in living space design that is utilized by living organisms in nature. The words "Parabolic" and "Stress Skin" relate to the geometry of economy of form for a focused structural and design purpose. "Parabolic" denotes how curves and lines interact to achieve a focused structural and design goal in a specific environment with a high degree of efficiency. "Stress Skin" describes the internal architecture where material and energy is conserved by concentrating the reinforcing where it is needed most to achieve the efficiency of a high-strength-to-weight-ratio. These two principles of economy and geometry also work smoothly together in nature to create forms that are integral to successful systems in harmony with the environment and that have sustained their existence through vast spans of time. This system can be used for any kind of shape but it naturally resonates with a specific architectural style that is an extension of the construction principles of the building system itself. The architecture of bones and seashells best illustrates this natural principle of economy of form and focused purpose in a way the PSS system may easily emulate. This would, however, defeat the core purpose of this system and style. To simply copy the art of nature without some essence of function and purpose intact may be like adorning our living spaces with trophies for vain pursuits of authentic sustainable choices. Disembodied bones and shells can be beautiful but their real beauty is related to what they can teach us about living form that is connected to, and in balance with, its diverse environment. A unique opportunity now exists to show that economical, small-spaces of flowing curvilinear design can supply an artistic and living comfort quality that will be surprising and beyond measure. Although the designs may seem almost opulent in beauty these forms are strongly rooted in focused sustainable purposes such as rainwater catchments, concentrated cultivation, zero eco-impact waste management, community harmony, integrated small business success and sustainable energy technology. For home space design to be consistent with these principles related to harmony and authentic sustainable design, the architecture must: Cultivate genuine sustainable lifestyles; Consider the whole of the environment by considering community design as well, i.e., the Shambhala Village Model; and it must also effectively employ the conservation of monetary and natural resources. Using curvilinear design as a base to expand the comfort level and sustainability of small economical homes is a new frontier. Conserving resources in this way is not just a way to help poor people obtain homeownership; this method is to directly confront the attitudes that are the basis for the environmental crisis we face. "Poverty is not the absence of goods, but rather the overabundance of desire" – Plato "Most of the luxuries, and many of the so-called comforts, of life are not only NOT indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind." Henry David Thoreau Developing an attractive architecture that effectively expresses this can be a curative approach towards attitudes that cause the imbalances in our ecosystems and economy in the first place.  Some of the main sustainable features are:

• A.  Solar and Wind - Existing technologies for solar and wind electricity generation and storage.
   
• B.  Gardening - Not just for nice veggies and herbs but also professional level designs for reliable production of food, herbs, fish, algae in the context of a successful business plan.
   
• C.  Outdoor Dome Oven, Kitchen and Community Area - an outdoor community kitchen area based on a large multifuel bread/pizza oven.  This style of cooking has community roots in many cultures - Think calzones and pizza seared to perfection in three minutes in a one thousand degree bread oven.
   
• D.  Solar Heated Rainwater Reservoir - an insulated solar heated water reservoir that is filled by rainwater runoff and that also uses the water to store the collected energy of the sun for heating the homes and stabilizing soil bed temperatures for reliable plant production.
   
• E.  Air Flow Design - Variations of Arches and Domes define the architecture to large degree. These shapes and the air-tightness of the medium naturally cause airflow design to be given more focus.   Earth tubes, curvilinear roof designs and designs that utilize the energy of the sun to create air flow all work together to move warm air and move cool air when needed for a more comfortable inside and outside environments and for energy cost savings.

At the heart of this evolving endeavor is a new building technique called the Parabolic Stress-skin Construction Process.  This system is a hybrid of cast insulating cellular concrete or recycled materials and ferrocement. The system is a very efficient use of this high energy material and if "Green" were a measure of the least ecological impact on the earth then this method would qualify as the "Greenest” because the resources used to replace less durable plant and mud based mediums must be considered.

This construction technique has intrinsic ties to organic structural design themes, similar to the structural architecture of seashells and the interconnected principle expressed in living forms. This principal as expressed in natural habitat and shelter design is economy, multiple utility, independence, security, bounty, successful cooperation and unrestrained free expression and play in the world of form.

The method, by virtue of providing non-professionals access to a technical capability to explore curvilinear organic form with a material that can provide insulation when needed and water impermeability when needed, ties inseparable to, and provides a new architectural framework for, the creative drive behind emerging uses of sustainable technologies. It is part of the grass roots development for integrating existing technologies into communities; technologies for independent methods for fuel production, electricity generation, sustainable water usage methods, healthy sewage systems, cooperative community and food and medicine production.

These design themes naturally resonate with this free technology and free-form building method. This is because the medium is suitable for many needs and can be shaped into curvilinear shapes; Not only can you now easily build a low cost, insulated and maintenance free house that may look like a seashell, you can, among many other things, build key sustainable features.   The material is suitable for simple and sturdy rain gutter designs and sturdy earthen artistic forms for the garden.

These new methods and materials will require less investment of time and energy than the traditional building technologies and has multiple uses. The insulated water reservoir can be a base for other creative expressions and for integrating more sustainable ideas, such as fish production, water plant production or just for enjoyment of the senses; perhaps a well-controlled green tank environment that utilizes zeolite filters for a balanced bioactive plant and animal habitat for swimming.  Indulging our imaginations in a base of practical sturdy design and construction can be an enriching exercise for many of us and should be recognized as a possible mechanism for adaptability and change.

This large volume, well insulated tank example, combined with an enticingly simplistic plumbing and electrical schematic for panel direct powered solar electric pumps and solar collectors for heating water, can provide a unique economic and body comfort advantage for this kind of insulated masonry home. The capital investment for these low-cost components will provide a total elimination of heating and cooling energy costs. A radiant floor heating system may not be adequate for wood frame homes but these fully masonry structures are insulated well in their foundations and provide other thermal advantages. These structures don’t leak air because they are cast as one solid piece. Air exchange and flow are integral parts of design so that air quality and thermal efficiency are high priorities. The building medium provides a unique balance of thermal mass and insulation. This balance helps store the heating and cooling energy while providing an efficient buffer from extreme temperatures outside. The one-piece monolithic casting of the roof and walls maximizes the body comfort and thermal performance by providing a larger thermal bank than just the floor and walls for thermal storage.