Homefullness

Zola Rose

Change-making conversations on housing for people and planet. Enabling more affordable, connected, and regenerative places to live.

  1. Designing Connection with Neighbours

    1 APR

    Designing Connection with Neighbours

    April Theme: Belonging and the Neighbour Connection Challenge In this episode, Zola introduces April’s theme of belonging through designing connection with neighbours, linking it to Common Ground’s focus on collective living and affordability via sharing and reciprocity, and permaculture’s people care ethic. She’s excited to share that she’s making changes to the Homefullness Show to be more practical and announces a Patreon-based Homefullness community with monthly resources.  This includes a “Neighbour Connection Challenge” which offers simple actions and a 7-day structure to build neighbourly ties, with even more resources available for Patreon members through the platform. Zola shares her personal experiences of community inclusion and isolation across different places she's lived, highlights intentional community benefits at Riverside Community (New Zealand), and discusses lessons from Serenbe and Steve Nygren’s book Start In Your Own Backyard about designing walkable, nature-integrated, clustered neighbourhoods. Check out www.commonground.net.nz for additional services for housing leaders and enthusiasts, housing-related events, and sign up for the newsletter and subscribe to the show to be alerted to upcoming content on compassionate communication for resolving neighbour tensions. Timestamps 00:00 April Theme Belonging 00:33 Show Format And Homefullness Community on Patreon 02:14 Neighbour Connection Challenge 03:54 Simple Ways To Connect 05:40 Seven Day Challenge Plan 06:32 Personal Story Early Neighbourhoods 11:31 Riverside Community Support 14:33 South Africa Lessons Learned 16:02 Bad Neighbours Experiences 18:37 Serenbe And Better Design 24:20 Start In Your Backyard Actions 26:05 Free Kit And Patreon Journey 26:49 Let Them Roam Pledge 28:04 Services Events And Resources   Links:  Homefullness Community on Patreon: patreon.com/commonground_zola Home page and newsletter sign up: https://www.commonground.net.nz/ WRH: https://www.commonground.net.nz/women-revolutionising-housing-network Property Devp course: https://www.commonground.net.nz/property-devp-course Newsletters: https://www.commonground.net.nz/common-ground-newsletter Connection Lab Playshops: https://www.commonground.net.nz/connection-labs TH Cohousing: https://www.commonground.net.nz/th-cohousing CG FB: https://www.facebook.com/CommonGroundAotearoaNZ/ CG LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/commonground-nz CG YT: https://www.youtube.com/@CommonGroundchannel Let Them Roam pledge: https://stacklist.app/letthemroam

    34 min

  2. 13 MAR

    Why our planning system is making the housing crisis worse & what we can do about it

    Reshaping Aotearoa’s Planning Laws: Regenerative Housing, Community Agency, and Structural Affordability New Zealand’s housing crisis, like many countries around the world, stems from a system producing unaffordable homes, ecological harm, and isolated communities.  Zola highlights this “rare opportunity” as the government rewrites the planning and natural resources bills replacing the RMA. Zola warns of risks in these bills like growth-led development and reduced citizen participation that could create degenerative outcomes for rural and urban area development for generations to come. Her call to action to listeners, wherever they are in the world, is to advocate to their local and central governments for policies and laws that explicitly enable regenerative land use, community-led housing models, and structural affordability, including: legitimizing tiny homes via a national definition and permitted status; rural cluster housing and ecovillage-style tools (including One Planet Development and circular economy villages); inclusionary zoning incentives; recognizing and supporting cooperative housing and community land trusts; and writing housing as a human right into legislation Zola also advocates shifting land use from industrial animal agriculture toward plant-based systems and farmer transition pathways.   Timestamps 00:00 Housing System Crisis 00:25 Planning Reform Moment 01:50 Submission Overview 02:24 Why Replace RMA 03:18 Tiny Homes Legitimacy 04:53 Rural Cluster Housing 06:27 Circular Economy Villages 07:01 Affordability Tools 08:54 Regenerative Land Use Shift 10:46 Six Risks Two Futures 13:45 Call to Engage 14:42 Course and Network Updates 17:22 Housing Guides and Housing Networks to access 19:20 NZ Housing Survey and Patreon Support for the Show   Download her submission presentation on the reports and guides page of the Common Ground website.  Sign up for the Common Ground newsletter and women are invited to join the Women Revolutionising Housing network from the website. You can join her Patreon community to support her work and this podcast: https://www.patreon.com/commonground_zola To inquire about Zola's consulting services or to be a guest on the show, you can book a meeting here: https://calendly.com/common_ground_zola_rose/quickcall or here if you are out of the Australasian region: https://calendly.com/common_ground_zola_rose/quick-call-int-l   https://www.commonground.net.nz/ https://www.facebook.com/CommonGroundAotearoaNZ/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/commonground-nz https://www.youtube.com/@CommonGroundchannel https://karenflett.com/

    22 min
  3. From Vision to Reality of Building a Thriving Ecovillage: Interview with founder Lyndall Parris

    16 FEB

    From Vision to Reality of Building a Thriving Ecovillage: Interview with founder Lyndall Parris

    Zola interviews Lyndall Parris, founder and resident of Narara Ecovillage on Australia’s central, east coast (about an hour north of Sydney), about what it takes to create and lead an intentional ecovillage from vision to reality and what daily life feels like there. The episode outlines Narara’s cooperative membership model (including the $30,000 buy-in), efforts toward affordability and intergenerational living through CLAN, and key sustainability infrastructure such as a smart grid and localized water systems. Lyndall shares the long fundraising and development journey (including setbacks during the financial crisis of 2008, the 2012 tender to buy the property, and 2013 settlement), reflects on belonging, kindness, and ongoing conflict-resolution work. Lyndall offers her free PDF book for those wanting to learn from their model and, of course, to visit their website.   00:52 Narara Ecovillage 101: Location, Land & Community Layout 02:07 How Membership Works: Co‑op Buy‑In, Responsibilities & Building Standards 03:18 Making It Affordable: CLAN, Shared Shares & Attracting Younger Families 05:16 Sustainability Systems: Smart Grid Energy + Water & Sewage Independence 06:28 Visit & Learn More: Website, Tours, Getting There from Sydney 07:33 Defining “Homefullness” 09:09 From Sheep Farm to “We Could Live Differently” 11:28 Courage to Build an Ecovillage: One Step at a Time (The Elephant Story) 13:54 Finding the Land + The Great Financial Crisis Setback (2008–2012) 16:43 Keeping the Dream Alive: Open Days, Newsletters & Founder Stamina 20:43 Life as a Resident: Kindness, Events, Healthier Living & Nature Connection 26:07 Not Utopia: Governance, Conflict Resolution & Personal Growth Ripples 29:39 Founder Fuel: “What’s In It for Me?” Avoiding Burnout + Financing Returns 31:33 From Setbacks to Solidarity: Building Trust to Fund the Land Purchase 33:20 Women Revolutionizing Housing Network: Monthly Meetups & How to Join 34:24 The $5M Tender Strategy: Pledges, Co-op Setup, and 24 ‘Pioneers’ 37:53 2012–2013: Settlement, Early Works, and Recruiting a Project Director 39:00 Paying the Professionals: Commercial Rates, Deferred Fees, and Success-Based Compensation 40:50 Member-Funded Infrastructure: Installments, Bridging Loans, and Keeping Banks Out 43:01 Co-op Membership & Shares: The $30k Buy-In, Assets, and Creative Affordability 44:38 Community-Building Practices: Weekly Zooms, Alliances, and Staying Connected 46:15 The Ecovillage Mission: Economic, Environmental, and Social ‘Three-Legged Stool’ 50:21 Charitable Arm & Tax-Deductible Giving: The Eco Living Network Explained 52:49 Sharing the Model: Website Resources, Free PDF Book, and ‘Joy of Purpose’ Workshop 55:20 Inspiration & Closing Reflections: Spiritual Practices, Nature, and Next Steps Links: https://youtu.be/x_RYTEx1Cxk https://nararaecovillage.com/ https://nararaecovillage.com/2022/12/lyndall-and-dave/ https://www.commonground.net.nz/

    1 hr
  4. Home as relationship with community, land, soil, tradition: Zola Ndimande on building her own home in ancestral Zululand

    27 JAN

    Home as relationship with community, land, soil, tradition: Zola Ndimande on building her own home in ancestral Zululand

    In this episode, host Zola Rose interviews Zola Ndimande, a Zulu woman from KwaZulu Natal South Africa about her return to her ancestral land to build her own home using traditional earth building methods, and integrating into that community-focused way of living in relationship with people and relationship with the elements. The discussion covers a range of topics such as traditional housing construction methods, indigenous community living, tribal land stewardship and right to occupy vs ownership, tribal authority vs regulatory governance, traditional ceremonies for returning to occupy land, and the balance between modern and indigenous ways of building and living. Zola provides insights into the communal support systems prevalent in Zulu communities, the challenges of integrating modern aspirations with traditional values, and the importance of maintaining cultural rituals and land stewardship.  The conversation also touches on the parallels between Zulu and Maori cultures, highlighting the universal human need for community and connection to land. Zola Rose refers to another episode (May 2025) where she interviews her daughter Oriah about growing up, learning, and creating a home in a similar way when they lived near a Zulu community in KwaZulu Natal South Africa. 02:18 Land Rights and Ancestral Connections 03:36 Community and Tribal Land Systems 10:07 Ceremonies and Traditions in Zululand 17:44 Building with Natural Materials 21:12 Community-Based Tourism and Integration 30:48 Learning the Basics of Cob Building 31:38 Building a Home While Pregnant 32:06 Construction Timeline and Techniques 33:35 Inspiration to Build My Own House 35:29 Exploring the Land and Community 37:07 Traditional vs. Modern Building Materials 39:01 The Importance of Community Support 41:43 Challenges and Legislation in Building 43:16 Sustainable Living Practices 57:42 Cultural Reflections and Language Your reflections are welcome--we'd love to hear from you.  Email to zola@commonground.net.nz

    1 hr
  5. From Straw to Structure: Re-creating housing in a warming, wasteful world

    22/12/2025

    From Straw to Structure: Re-creating housing in a warming, wasteful world

    Zola Rose interviews Magda Garbarczyk from Fine Line Architecture about the 'Straw Lines' project, a modular housing system using low carbon materials like straw and timber to address New Zealand's housing crisis, climate change, unhealthy and expensive building materials, and waste from the agricultural sector. The project aims to reconnect traditional building methods with modern practices, promote community involvement, and reduce environmental impact. Magda, alongside collaborator Min Hall, discusses their design competition entry focused on carbon-negative construction that uses locally sourced materials and prefabricated straw panels, making housing construction faster, cheaper, and more environmentally friendly. Furthermore, they explore the potential for community-led and neighbourhood-scale building initiatives to enhance affordability and sustainability. Links:  https://www.finelinearchitecture.co.nz/projects/strawlines https://www.commonground.net.nz/ https://thehousinginnovationsociety.com/   00:49 The Relevance of Sustainable Building Materials 02:10 Magda Gik's Architectural Journey 03:09 Project Collaboration and Research 06:26 Historical Context of Building Traditions in Aotearoa 07:44 Straw Lines: Design and Implementation 10:24 Research and Development of Prefabricated Panels 17:57 Community Involvement and Future Vision 21:52 Q&A Session: Addressing Audience Queries

    35 min
  6. Intergenerational Community and Affordability: Peterborough Housing Cooperative's Winning Combination

    09/12/2025

    Intergenerational Community and Affordability: Peterborough Housing Cooperative's Winning Combination

    Host Zola Rose interviews Trystan and Stephanie from the Peterborough Housing Cooperative to discuss this housing model that is a rarity in Aotearoa NZ (a more common model in Europe). They explore how the cooperative structure, owned by a Trust, keeps rents affordable and fosters a close-knit community of families, young professionals, and the elderly. They talk about the cooperative's guiding principles and their commitment to maintaining affordability for future generations by capping rents and resale prices. The episode also details the process of joining the cooperative, the benefits of living in such a community, and the challenges that other groups will face if trying to start their own cooperative housing--challenges due to the dominant systems that make land expensive and finance hard to obtain. They speak about their conflict resolution process that is built into the guiding document but that people who are accepted to be members already have a willingness to be cooperative. Because of the complexity, they do offer mentorship and guidance for groups wishing to create their own cohousing or cooperative housing. Zola shares updates on the Women Revolutionising Housing hui and network, how listeners can support the podcast through the Homefullness Patreon community, and her Earth Fellows fellowship for regenerative housing. Zola thanks the show sponsor, Home Foundation.  https://homefoundation.org.nz/ To learn about the legal routes to unlock cooperative housing in Aotearoa NZ, check out the Homefullness episode of 28 March 2025 and the Common Ground YouTube channel. Links mentioned in the show:  https://peterborough.nz/ https://www.commonground.net.nz/ https://thehousinginnovationsociety.com/ https://www.earthsong.org.nz/ https://www.cohousingco.com/charles-durrett   09:39 Living in Peterborough Housing Cooperative 16:55 Challenges and Benefits of Cooperative Living 34:31 Future Projects and Community Expansion 48:53 Final Thoughts and Invitation to Visit

    49 min
  7. Recipes for Baking Belonging into Housing: Zola’s journey from Homelessness to Homefullness

    27/10/2025

    Recipes for Baking Belonging into Housing: Zola’s journey from Homelessness to Homefullness

    Show host Zola shares her personal experience with housing instability through a creative reading of her unpublished article titled 'Homefullness: Recipes for Baking, Belonging, Connection, and Resilience into Housing Futures.' Zola details her struggles with feelings of homelessness due to the challenge of finding available, affordable accommodation and precarious short-term house and room rentals, despite her professional background and stable income.  She highlights the systemic issues in housing policies and market forces that creates housing insecurity for many working people in our society as well as for single mothers and older women. She explores how collective housing can offer homefullness but that these models are in short supply due to many factors such as inhospitable legislation, lack of developer interest, and unavailable bank lending or funding.  Zola offers practical 'recipes' for creating more connected and resilient communities for people "in situ" or creating from scratch. The episode serves as both a personal testimony and a call to action for systemic change in housing development, funding, and legislation. Timestamps: 00:43 Zola’s Personal Story: A Recipe for Homelessness 03:45 Her Struggles with Housing Instability 17:38 The Broken Housing System 25:10 Collective Housing Solutions 30:22 Homefullness Recipes for Transformation: In Situ and Collective Housing 38:19 Call to Action: Creating Homefullness—what you can do no matter where or who you are.   Show Links: Common Ground website &  newsletter sign up:https://www.commonground.net.nz/ Become part of the Homefullness Patreon Community: https://www.patreon.com/commonground_zola The article and companion document of resources is not yet ready for release.  Sign up to the Common Ground newsletter to get alerted when I’ve made this available.

    42 min
  8. Rethinking Rural Development: How Alignment of Planning Policy Enables Sustainable Hamlets

    25/09/2025

    Rethinking Rural Development: How Alignment of Planning Policy Enables Sustainable Hamlets

    In this episode Zola interviews Steven Liaros to discuss the importance and the roadmap to create a network of Circular Economy Villages (CEV). These villages aim to integrate private housing development with public infrastructure to alleviate stress on local governments and create sustainable, regenerative rural and peri-urban communities. Steven delves into the critical barriers that traditional eco-village projects face, such as local area planning policies, financing, and necessary infrastructure. The CEV model addresses these issues by incorporating principles of the circular economy, emphasizing reduced waste and enhanced efficiency in energy and water usage, and fostering climate resilience. The episode highlights the benefits of this model for rural areas and its role in enabling local governments to collaborate efficiently. The discussion also covers the strategic planning and financial strategies that are key to making these villages a reality. And, Steven envisions it being a really great place to live where people know their neighbours and share resources and activities and where folks who are a bit nomadic yet with a desire for belonging can find a community within a CEV. 05:36 Vision of Circular Economy Villages 06:32 Daily Life in a Circular Economy Village 10:20 Community Governance and Infrastructure 14:15 Planning and Financing Challenges 17:22 Engaging Local Governments and Investors 25:31 Personal Journey and Motivation 51:24 Final Thoughts and Call to Action Find two explanatory videos on the CEV on Steven's YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@steven_liaros?si=_Av-PyiCkOSA2NbJ Circular Economy Village website: https://www.cevco.life/ Common Ground: https://www.commonground.net.nz/ Women Revolutionising Housing: https://www.commonground.net.nz/women-revolutionising-housing-hui-2025 Join the Homefullness Community: https://www.patreon.com/commonground_zola

    53 min
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About

Change-making conversations on housing for people and planet. Enabling more affordable, connected, and regenerative places to live.

Information

  • Creator
    Zola Rose
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    27
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2024 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Homefullness