The CABN clusters are designed as walkable, resilient micro-communities built around a shared central commons. All roads remain on the periphery, keeping the heart of each cluster pedestrian-only and allowing the inward–facing homes—prefabricated by CABN—to form a true neighborhood around their front porches. This inward orientation challenged the typical CABN solar strategy, but it strengthened what the clusters are meant to support: small groups of residents who can genuinely know and care for one another at a human scale.

Each cluster also acts as a natural microgrid, enabling the sharing of energy, resources, and materials among homes. In this way, the clusters function more like a forest community—specifically the “mother tree” networks—where excess resources can be redistributed to neighbours in need, increasing the resilience of the whole.

inspired by ant colonies, the shared walkway system link the clusters. These pedestrian paths are designed to create frequent, informal “collisions” between residents of neighbouring clusters—similar to how ants exchange information with brief antennae touches—allowing people to check in, coordinate, and ensure the well-being of the wider community.

Together, these design choices create a village-scale fabric that is walkable, socially connected, energy-sharing, and capable of regenerating resilience from the inside out.