Heartmoor Design Build, LLC

Building is a creative process of unfolding ideas into possibilities. The artistic integration of needs and wants into the built environment makes the difference between a building that you can live in and a place you love to be.

The Design/Build process is where our team thrives.

When you inquire with Heartmoor Design Build you get personal respect, direct contact, transparency, and individuals who listen to your vision.

We are a licensed, bonded, and insured residential construction company with four full time carpenter employees who bring together a variety of backgrounds, skill sets, and specialties in art, design, tile, stone, smithing, furniture making, and textiles. We are supported by architects, designers, and engineers familiar with our work, our ethic, and our standards of practice. 

Our high quality, vetted contacts across construction suppliers and disciplines ensures that you get what you want, how you want it, and when you need it to make your project happen. Changes are inevitable even in the most well thought through projects- our goal is make opportunities out of obstacles and possibilities out of problems.

 

Building is about ecological preservation

Each and every aspect of the built environment will reflect the principles and dedication of the owner and builder. In consideration of the tremendous amount of waste the contracting industry creates, we emphasize the use of salvage materials, reusing deconstructed buildings, repurposing everything we can, and reimagining how the space we are creating contributes to a healthier, safer environment. Waste sorting, reclamation, and recycling are a fundamental part of our service because it not only saves you money, it saves the limited resources of our Earth.

 

Building is about working together

As a teacher for over 20 years, I learned that the greatest results come from collaboration. This is true in the design process, the materials acquisition process, and even in the physical building of the structure. My experience has taught me that crafting a vision for newly built or redesigned spaces evolves best through open, consistent, and clear communication. The success of every project depends on a partnership between the client, the contractor, and the working people involved in the enterprise.

 

Building is about site selection

We work on the land. Land has a direction, a slope, and is a key factor in where we place, expand, and explore the satisfaction of the fundamental need for shelter. Orientation to the sun, the predominant weather patterns, the
existing trees, and both the human and animal movements through these spaces help create a story, a timeline, a history that is our blueprint for what to do and what can be done.

 

 

 

Thank you for considering Heartmoor Design Build for your next project, large or small, practical or personal.

As a Virginia Class A licensed Contractor with the Residential Building Contractor specialty certification, I can advise and assist you in both common and creative building solutions.

Please contact me at 917-822-7230 OR email Designbuild@heartmoorfarm.org to take the next step in your project ideas.

Summer Camps 2019

Summer Enrichment students will spend the majority of their time outside working, exploring, and learning on the land.     WEEK I: JUNE 17 – 21  Peace Village, $250. 9:00 – 4:00 p.m. daily (limit 16 participants) In its second year at Heartmoor, inspired by a dear friend’s work with Peace Village Global in Portland, OR we are excited to host a community of 16 children, ages 8 -13, leading them in experiences to build skills in conflict resolution, mindful movement, connection with nature and media awareness.   WEEK II: JUNE 25 – 28, 2019 Woodworking and Art, $475. 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Tuesday – Friday Overnight camp experiences where children (ages 9 – 13) will camp in tents in the meadow, tend animals and gardens, help prepare delicious local and organic meals for one another. Children will have open time to play outside in the creek as well as guided reflective time observing and journaling. Project time in the workshop will include wood working and clay as well as other opportunities to explore artistic media. Past projects have included: a flower press, small treasure box, bat box, cutting board, a vast array of clay creations both hand-built and wheel thrown, plus…

NEW Offering: Parenting Study Circle

January 27  Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions Into Adulthood by Lisa Damour. February 24 How to Talk so Teens Will Listen and Listen so Teens Will Talk, by Adele Faber March 24 Simplicity Parenting  by Kim John-Payne   April 28 Title to be determined Email heartmoorfarm@gmail.com to RSVP  Plan to arrive at 1:30 p.m. for snacks and socializing. Discussion 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. By-donation occasions.

F.E.E.D. Farm Education Experience Day

Each month we will focus on a different issue related to the operation and maintenance of the farm: from the gardens to the wood shop, from structures to the forest.

In order to hold each session, a minimum of five participants is necessary.

Sundays for Adolescents

Ages 12 – 17
Sept. 23, Oct. 21, Nov. 18,  Jan. 13, Feb. 10, Apr. 14
9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

 


This is an opportunity to evaluate and assess, harvest and repair, learn to work together, and implement solutions using appropriate technologies.

Register for the F.E.E.D. Farm Education Experience Day for a unique hands-on farm experience.

Sundays for Adolescents September 23: 

Sundays for Adolescents October 21:

Online registration for this event is closed

Sundays for Adolescents November 18:

Sundays for Adolescents January 13:

Sundays for Adolescents February 10:

 

Sundays for Adolescents April 14:

 

 

Woodworking and Basic Construction Classes

Winter 2025 Classes & Shop Hours At Heartmoor, tuitions are all inclusive- general shop materials, use of tools, storage of projects, and beautiful wood. Salvage and reclamation of resources is a central focus of our design and build philosophy. Classes are designed to support the individual student in their pursuit of skills combined with the theory of practice. We understand that a missed class due to work or family conflicts is natural. We will do the best we can to find convenient make-up times for each individual student through priority placement in Wednesday Open Shop or special weekend Shop Time (dates TBD).  At Heartmoor, students are encouraged and supported to reach and exceed their personal expectations and explore new methods of work.  As one student recently commented: the classes “…made the humbling experience of learning a new skill as an adult totally delightful.” -H.D. Basic Carpentry  January 6- February 10  (6 Classes) Mondays  6:00–8:30 p.m. $295.This class is designed for the individual who is looking to take on home remodeling and improvements. Learn about basic tool use, safety equipment, wood applications, code issues, structural fastening, as well as some fundamentals of framing.  Both hand and power tools will be taught…

Principles for Designing a Child’s Place

Let’s use this image for conversation. Here a young child, not yet three years old, rests spontaneously under a handmade small quilt, her head on a star fleeced pillow. Her rag rug of blues, peaches and pinks seems to surround her like an ebbing pool. The walls of her room are a pale blue, a soothing color especially chosen for the peaceful sense it provides. She has a nice low window with simple dress so that the sun can pour into her special space. She can operate the curtains easily, drawing them back each morning and closing them as the day ends. Her cherry wood rocking chair is perfectly fitted to her frame. The low shelf lining her wall is simple, at the right height, made of wood, and holds just a few items. There are two small framed photos, a treasure box, and a couple dolls from the near-by dollhouse resting on top. She has a wooden toolbox beneath the shelf and we can see that the electrical outlets are covered as a quiet reminder that these are not in use. The part of the bedroom we cannot see in this photo has a floor bed and a small armadio of three drawers, several shelves, and a short bar for hanging clothes. Storage of the child’s clothing needs to be at her height and a quantity that she can manage: a few shirts, two pairs of pants, night clothes, and under clothing all stored in separate drawers so that she can choose her clothing from all good options and she can stow her belongings independently. Her bed is small, a crib-size organic cotton and wool mattress resting in a handmade wooden frame. She can easily climb in and out of her bed independently. Functional independence: this early stage of child development has as its goal functional independence. How can the environment be prepared so that she can dress herself, tend to her belongings, tidy up, and most of all feel at home, at peace in her place?

In upcoming blogs there will be additional photos used as a way to illustrate guiding principles. In your home, it is your creation and when you imagine yourself to be the height of your child, look around, what do you see, is there an open path or barriers in your way of movement? Do you feel invited in or unsure how to move in the space? How we establish an environment speaks to the child and encourages certain behaviors. In a calm environment wherein each object is thoughtfully chosen, has a purpose and a place, a child knows intuitively how to proceed. She feels how special the space is and how lovingly it has been prepared. This loving preparation calls to the child for her respect and care in return. Learning to care for one’s own space is essential in the development of self-care, an other-regarding compassion and awareness, then ultimately care of the much larger shared environment of our planet.

Choosing the objects in your child’s room takes consideration. Choosing open-ended objects of natural materials beckons to the child’s desire to interact and explore. When we give children beautiful objects, we are telling her that we trust her with them. We know she can manage with a real tool, that she can take care of it, follow directions, and learn how to put it away after each use.

In a culture where there is abundance, it can be a challenge to teach a child how to take care, protect, and conserve. Keep these principles in mind as you determine what you want your child to have in her space.

  • Beauty
  • Order
  • Purpose
  • Simple, uncluttered
  • At child’s eye level

Ask what message you want the environment to communicate to the child and then assess if this has been created or not.

Thank you for joining us here at the Heartmoor Farm Education Centre Family Life Enrichment Blog. Please visit again, and feel free to contact us if you’d like more information about creating a vibrant, nurturing home environment for children.