Karaberd House Project

The Ideology 

The ultimate goal of the Karaberd House project is to build a community and bring life back to the village. To achieve this vision, we are building a primary house with five surrounding cabins exclusive to people who donate $300 (or more), who become occupants of the house. Becoming an occupant means you join the community and get lifetime access to the house and cabins. Simply by staying in Karaberd (in Armenia’s Lori region), occupants automatically bring activity to the area, discover a new destination, and put Karaberd back on the map.

Imagine having to pay only $300 to join a community and have a place to stay whenever you’d like. Why not invest in becoming an occupant and part of a movement to build a community?

Thanks to this project, more attention will be given to overlooked but beautiful towns and villages. By creating a community, we are revealing an unseen side of Armenia and showing people that there's more to the country.

We have raised around $15,000 during the past year and 60 people have joined the community.

So far, we have one cabin (prototype) built, the structure of two other cabins constructed, the ~fanciest~ compost toilet you’ll ever see, and a fully demolished house. The foundation wall around the house is built, structural reinforced wall to be to be followed once starting the construction. The land is leveled, secured with electricity and running water.

FAQ

What if someone wants to donate more or less than $300?

If someone is willing to donate less, any amount is appreciated. Thanks to you we'll be one step closer in achieving our dream. However, to get a share of the house, the minimum is donating $300. If someone is willing to donate more, they're more than welcome to do it, The more a person donates, the fewer occupants "The House" has. If one person is donating on behalf of multiple people, please mention their names.

How long can an occupant stay at the house?

Until the construction is over, a community member can stay at the cabins for 6 nights in a row during one stay, If the cabins aren't booked after the 6th night, the occupant can continue staying there. Upon completion, they can stay at the Karaberd House for 14 consecutive days during one stay in order to provide a rotation of other members. Having 200 occupants is enough to have the Karaberd House in use at all times.

How will the occupants be updated regarding the Karaberd House?

For now, we will be sending monthly updates through email, and we're working on developing a website where occupants can sign up create an account to book the days they want to spend at the Karaberd House. Until the website is ready, you can contact us through email or send us a DM through Instagram to book your stay.

How is the house going to be maintained?

Each occupant will be paying an annual fee of $25 in order to compensate for broken items, pay the utilities, and maintain "The House" on a regular basis.

Will "The House" be available in the winter?

Yes - "The House" will be available for all seasons, furnished with a cozy fireplace.

Can people who aren't occupants rent the house like an Airbnb?

The Karaberd House is reserved for occupants and their guests only. Occupants are welcome to bring their guests upon their stay, but they cannot send over their friends when they are not present.

The Impact

The first step to getting people to venture out to smaller towns is by providing basic amenities. In Karaberd’s case, it’s building a community house. With the Karaberd House having 200 occupants, the village will see more movement and local business people will have the incentive to create products and services. All this and more will result in motivation for development, and therefore, taking baby steps to decentralize Armenia.

What’s more? Other than enjoying the beautiful scenery, pristine nature, and staying at a modern community home, you have the opportunity to become a part of a large network of like-minded people from all over the world who can gather, discuss ideas, return to their roots, and revive the village.

Armenia is a heavily centralized country. Most people who vacation here choose to stay in Yerevan and dedicate a couple of days to venture out to other cities and towns. As such, with the majority of people residing in and visiting Yerevan, Armenia is slowly losing its natural beauty and charm to crowded city life. The result is congestion, pollution, and an overpopulated city. 

Vision: Future homes in other towns

Once we’ve completed the first house and put down roots for community building, we plan to scout for other villages to implement the same project. By building new residences in overlooked villages and disregarded towns, we’ll not only motivate others to join us, but we’ll also bring these areas back to life.

The more times you donate, the more houses you’ll have at your disposal throughout Armenia. With more houses in different locations, there will be more flexibility and availability in the future. 

In the long run, an occupant would be saving money by investing only $300 in a village home. In the process, you would be building a community along with the other occupants, uncovering a new destination, and having an unmatched experience, all while enjoying a peaceful retreat in a new home.

These houses are the perfect place to create happy memories with your family, embark on adventures with your friends, host exhibitions and events, or spend quality time with someone special. Whether you wish to take a break from the bustling city, or even start a summer camp for kids, your journey starts at Karaberd.

You can view the budget here: https://bit.ly/3N5IHcI

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The project supports:

Sustainable Development Goals

The Future Armenian goals