When the Land Begins to Listen
- Anand Johnson
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
ecoāshrām diaries | March 2026
There is a quiet moment at
the beginning of every build,
when the drawings are still ideas, and the land is still listening.
March marked that threshold at ecoāshrām.
Across the site, the first signs of transformation have begun to emerge,
not as finished structures, but as intent becoming visible.
Foundations are being carved, pathways are being understood and teams have begun moving in rhythm with both the terrain and each other.
Thirty acres in the Western Ghats are slowly, deliberately, waking up.
Land in Motion
A pattern of progress stands out lately in the land. Multiple builds progressing in parallel; from residential clusters to shared communal spaces.
The pace is measured and grounded,
the way good things are built.
Rico, our permaculture coach and sustainability leader, together with Ranjot, has been shaping the overall vision for site development and landscaping.
Lead by Rico, Yannick and the team of volunteers act on field, not just about what gets built, but how the campus breathes, drains, grows, and functions as a living system.
To finalise the landscaping designs, Zora visited the campus, bringing the long-horizon vision of the site’s natural form into sharper resolution.
How pathways will flow, where trees will anchor the edges, how water and land will relate - these questions now have answers on paper, and soon on the ground.
Pegasus uplands moving ahead with builds, lowlands getting ready for the builds. We are passing through the phase where coordination becomes as important as construction.
The Team Grows
March was as much about people as it was about progress.
Om Prakash joined the project management team early in the month, working alongside Nadim G to bring greater coordination to the growing pace. As builds multiply and timelines tighten, having strong hands on the management side has made a visible difference on the ground.
Mid-month, Anand came on board for communications and site management & by the end of March Devishree joined the team to take care of hospitality and community building - a welcome addition as ecoāshrām moves into a phase where its story of the collective needs to be told as clearly as it is being built.
The month also brought meaningful external energy.
Global Eco-village Network connects founders, eco-enthusiasts and investors across the global eco-village movement.
Ravi Singh Gill, founder of Terragold Projects and a Canada based quick-build log cabin enterprise, visited the campus for the first time on March 6th accompanied with Amena Bal and Brijinder Kathuria from the Global Eco-village Network.
The interest in exploring a potential collaboration with EcoĀshrām signals the kind of cross-pollination of expertise and vision that this project naturally attracts.
They returned again on March 12th with
Dr. Anil Lamba - Founder of LAMCON, Nicky Lamba - Founder of Nesara and Rajesh Khanna, Country Head - Denave India.
Their presence here felt like a quiet endorsement that ecoāshrām is building something worth paying attention to.
Cluster-Wise Progress
Venue Cluster - Preparing for Form
The Venue Cluster has moved steadily through its foundation phase.
Concreting for the foundation of cottages 6, 7, and 8 is done, where the footage’s will have basement which is also a co-working space.
The space has now opened up for the retaining wall and fabrications to follow.
There is a sense of stability here. The base is almost ready to receive structure.
Overlook Cluster - Structure Emerging
At the Overlook Cluster, the build has begun to rise above ground.
Industrial frame welding at the plinth level is nearing completion, toilet prototypes for the cottages are taking shape and introduction of kadappa flooring, marks the beginning of surface definition.
Overlook cluster is finding its form.
Edge Cluster - Learning the Land
Still in its earliest phase, the Edge Cluster is more about listening than building.
Land has been cleared, layouts are outlined, and the design and development teams are in active coordination.
Every great build begins with this; understanding what the land has to say before you ask anything of it.
Community Kitchen & Dining - The Heart Begins
If the ecoāshrām has a heartbeat, it will live here.
In the final week of March, we were joined by Ashwini Kaskar, who leads ‘Poshan’ - the community kitchen of Build3 in Goa.
She visited the campus, walked the space, and brought with her a contagious blend of experience, vision, and genuine excitement for what ‘good food movement’ at EcoĀshrām can become.
Having someone of her depth and warmth step into this role gives the kitchen not just a leader, but a soul.
The foundation of the dining barn is complete.
The kitchen foundation is being layered up in laterite stone.
The space is no longer conceptual - it is weeks away from lifting its head.
Water Systems — Building with Sensitivity
Foundation work is underway on the upland cistern, with concrete reinforcements added over the initial layer.
This reservoir will serve all the spaces in the upland - a quiet but critical piece of infrastructure.
What stands out is the minimal disruption to the natural habitat - a conscious and deliberate approach by Rico and his team of permaculture practitioners.
Water is not just being stored; it is being integrated.
Down in the Pegasus lowlands, excavation progresses on an even larger cistern, expected to complete by mid-April.
Yogashala — The First Breath
Bamboo poles are being treated, washed, and dried for the Yogashāla - prepared for longevity.
The ground is cleared, pathways are emerging.
Our breathing and gathering space awaits its moment.
…
Join Us on the Ground - Call for Volunteers
ecoāshrām is being built by hands and hearts, and we need more of both.
We are actively looking for volunteers to join us on-site.
If you feel the pull, here is where we need you:
Land clearing & digging: physical groundwork, the most elemental kind of contribution
Grey water management: support to implement conscious water systems
Nursery set-up: establishing the growing infrastructure for the campus
Food forest management: tending what will become a living, edible landscape
Beyond a certain level of experience, we look for willingness, presence, and care for the work. If this calls to you, reach out. We would love to have you.
JOIN US: Volunteer at startup ecoāshrām
…
Forest, organic farms, and earth-built homes.
Community kitchens, coworking barns, open courtyards.
Places to create, reflect, share meals, and celebrate - together, in the making.
Startup EcoĀshrām.
30 acres in the Western Ghats.
Coming to life, one layer at a time.
- team ecoāshrām
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