What makes the Community @ The Martin Building a community?

First, there's the sense that the people who live there are co-operative, supportive and generally interested in similar philosophical and cultural issues. For instance, environmentalism and ‘green' concerns play a big part in the Community - from the construction materials used (recycled whenever possible), to the bikes available for use by those who live there, to the garden plots available for planting.
Centrally located in the heart of Banker's Hill, Community inhabitants are within walking and biking distance of Balboa Park, Hillcrest, and the downtown core, as well as being only a short distance from North Park, South Park, and Golden Hill. With easy access to these neighborhoods, Community dwellers connect and support an urban San Diego, ultimately contributing to it's vibrant lifestyle.
Community offers these urbanites a place to live, but in a way that is forward thinking and new: a home (your apartment) within a home (your building that can be used as an extension of your apartment) within a home (an apartment building located in close proximity to all of the restaurants, bars, and services that you frequent). Residents enjoy the creative energy and excitement of an ever-evolving urban property that’s noticeably different in look and feel. They appreciate an environment that provides social connectivity and engages their senses through art, design and technology. Community has also supported and played host to special events (Sanctuary 143/ Conspire) that have featured exhibitions and performances by local artists and musicians.

An excerpt taken from The Sanctuary 143 Blog referencing the Tin Can Installation @ the Conspire event:

"We assembled many a tin can phone for CONSPIRE, and we chose it to represent the event. CONSPIRE was all about communication – artists and musicians collaborating two to a room – so we drew a parallel there; one person transfers ideas to another, and there’s an exchange based on sound. What’s more, the venue — The Martin Building, a revamped 1920′s hotel turned apartments — is urban and interactive at once like this soup can technology. Residents meet up through gatherings like CONSPIRE, and the building borders the city, equipped with rusty (yet charming) fire escapes and shining wood floors. To us, the tin can phone seemed a perfect fit".

"The journey to CONSPIRE was an enlightening one… A note about the tin can phone – it doesn’t work that well. We tried it (some of us for the first time) – we ended up with circles imprinted on our cheeks and laughed more than we heard. But what gave it more meaning was the artist statement from Room #23′s Keikichi Honna. His broken English communicated more than what we were able to initially".

“Tin can phone” may represent communications, or symbolize community for younger generations of i-phone/skype users. But not for old schooler's like myself. It’s a fond memory of my childhood. Funny thing is this needs a partner, which has plenty of incidents of miscommunication and misunderstanding.

Funnier still is it needs to keep tension between us for our voices being heard.”
So cheers to communication and miscommunication. May our voices be heard and may we all CONSPIRE to create.

2009 ULI (Urban Land Institute) Smart Growth Award

2009 Finalist for the SDAF (San Diego Architectural Foundation) Community Vision Award

2010 SDAF (San Diego Architectural Foundation) Orchid Award Winner for Social Sustainability

Commentary from SDAF Orchid and Onion Jurors:

"I’d give up my slice of suburbia in a heartbeat for this.” The jury saw this brand of “tastefully reconfigured properties” as a “catalyst for creative and environmentally conscious social interaction.”

Local film maker Jeff Durkin of Breadtruck Films has released documentaries about Community here and here