Project One (San Francisco)

An Intentional Community and a Community of Place in San Francisco, Project One was initiated by architect Ralph Scott who had been a student of and was inspired by Buckminster Fuller. Project One was conceived of and rapidly became an interdisciplinary learning environment. Central to the concept was Symbas Alternative High School and a number of anchoring organizations which, in addition to their individual missions, served as work-study environments for the students. [1]One of these, Resource One, conceived as a people's computer center with a donated XDS-940 mainframe computer, became the first public computerized bulletin board system [2] as home to Community Memory Project established in 1973 and created by Efrem Lipkin, Mark Szpakowski, and Lee Felsenstein. Lee Felsenstein went on to play a central role in the development of the personal computer as described by Stewart Brand in Rolling Stone magazine in 1972.[3]

Located in a previously abandoned warehouse building and candy factory, the community lasted from 1971 to 1980 and was the first such warehouse community in San Francisco. When this abandoned warehouse was first leased in 1971, all previous internal walls and structures had been removed. It was completely empty except for the structural supporting columns that held the four stories up. There was also a penthouse. The building was constructed with steel reinforced concrete and had a total floor space measuring 84,000 square feet. When it was first occupied, the people who lived and worked there designed and built all the walls, hallways, office and living spaces. As not all had previous skills in construction and remodeling there was a lot of on-the-job training, reflecting a strong do-it-yourself ethic which was common in the counterculture. Since there were a wide variety of skills available within the community it was rarely necessary to hire outside contractors.

Project One was an important part of the counterculture of the 1960s and 1970s and housed dozens of artisans, sculptors, filmmakers and technology organizations. The community had no formal overall organization and was governed by a weekly meeting of members. Attendance at meetings was voluntary and decisions were made by a consensus of those present.[4]

Activism

1971 Oil Spill Communications Collaboration

Ecology Center Press, Resource One, Symbas School combined forces with the San Francisco Switchboard to coordinate communications among volunteers and organizational responses to the clean-up effort.

Anchor Organizations & People

Apples Daycare 1971-

Run by ex-Marine Rashid (Ray) Patch and operating from 6:00am till 7:30pm, Monday through Friday, Apples Daycare was situated on the fourth floor, at the south corner of the building.
Six to a dozen of the 15-18 enrolled pre-schoolers came each day. Setting off on foot they explored San Francisco: riding buses, walking neighborhoods, watching parades, attending free concerts in the parks and free movies at the library, attending public presentations of spiritual leaders and teachers. The kids met a bunch of Buddhist abbots, rinpoches, lamas, roshis, Sikh gurus, Taoist priests, kung-fu masters, archbishops, swamis, Orthodox monks, friars, rabbis, and sufi shaykhs; all of whom would find time to give the kids their blessings.
The parents were artists, exotic dancers, actors, rock&roll musicians, political activists, techies, nurses, social workers, a park ranger - all childcare early-adapters and screened by the Childcare Switchboard.

db Associates

Peter de Blanc, Dennis Rice

ECOS 1971-1973

Principals: Ralph Scott, Ray Krauss, Mya Shone, Mary Janowitz, Sherry Reson, Craig Mosher, Andy Bucchiere

Optic Nerve 1970-1980

Principals: Lynn Adler, Sherrie Rabinowitz, Jules Backus, Jim Mayer, Bill Bradbury, Ben Tarcher
Founded in 1970 as a photography collective focusing on social issues and American culture, in 1972 Optic Nerve began working in video as well as photography. Their first production was an hour documentary about Project One.

Optic Nerve’s early video documentaries explored rodeos, beauty pageants and the world of owner operator truck drivers.. These were among the first independently produced video documentaries to be broadcast on Public Television. The Nerve, as it was often called, also collaborated with local artists groups such as Ant Farm

In 1973, the collective moved around the corner from Project One into an undeveloped loft space. The Optic Nerve studio became an important venue in San Francisco's alternative media community, hosting public video screenings, performances, video shoots, and some very good parties. In 1980, three past members formed Ideas In Motion as a for-profit partnership continuing the ideals of Optic Nerve within a sustainable financial structure.

Resource One 1971-?

Principals: Pam Hardt, Lee Felsenstein, Efrem Lipkin, Jed Riffe, Steve Robinson, Sharon Altus, Paul Ward, Chris Macie, Fred Wright, Henry the Fiddler, Mike Chadwick, John Cooney, Ford Turping, Chris Neustrup, Bart Berger, Gary McCue, Bob Hemmer.
Envisioned as a people's computer center, Resource One featured an XDS-940 mainframe computer. It became the anchor of Community Memory the first public computerized bulletin board system.[5] One of Community Memory's founders Lee Felsenstein was an active member and went on to play a central role in the development of the personal computer[6]

The San Francisco School of Holography

Lloyd Cross, Jerry Pethick

San Francisco VVAW

Lee Thorn, Mike Oliver, Jack McCloskey, Jim O'Donnell

Artists, Architects & Writers

Media

References

  1. ↑ "ONE: An Urban Community". The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science - NTL Institute.
  2. ↑ "Community Memory: 1972 - 1974, Berkeley and San Francisco, California". The WELL: Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link.
  3. ↑ Stewart Brand (December 7, 1972). "Spacewar: Fanatic Life and Symbolic Death Among the Computer Bums". Rolling Stone.
  4. ↑ "Pueblo in the City-Plumbers, computer freaks, architects and visionaries turn a vacant San Francisco candy factory into a technological commune". Mother Jones May 1976.
  5. ↑ Stewart Brand (December 7, 1972). "Spacewar: Fanatic Life and Symbolic Death Among the Computer Bums". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
  6. ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=cTyfxP-g2IIC&pg=PT238&dq=What+the+Dormouse+Said+resource+one+project+sherry+pam&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiN8PCF26TMAhVCzz4KHRz8CgEQ6AEIHTAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

External links

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