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Welcome to Jo's Epistolary of Imaginary Homes. This is gonna be fun!

Hi, I'm Jo, as you probably know:)

I’m an architect. It’s all I’ve ever known. That, plus my love for living close to nature, has led to Listen to Your Land. Think of it as a combination of bioclimatics, biophilia, permaculture, regenerative and systems thinking (oofff, that’s a lot already…) and an exploration of the poetry of place, something we've lost in the last years.

What readers are saying:

All of this. (…) The curiosity and joy and courage. The awareness that we are brains and souls and bodies - all three need to be fed.

I love this journey. Take me with you. 🤗

Courtney Cook

Steve Mouzon @stevemouzon

@jo_petroni this is beautiful, insightful, and possibly even profound! Thank you! And it confirms observations of human behavior here from half a world away. There is more that joins humanity than separates us if we look closely. @wrathofgnon this is from your neck of the woods.

Jo Petroni @jo_petroni

@stevemouzon https://t.co/yOj9BDK8pa wrote about transition spaces like porches here, i think it fits right in

Jo's Epistolary is me writing letters to imaginary friends every second Friday. That's the format, but then what?

We all try to define who we are and what we do, without ego traps or status flags.

I could go pompous with "Defining a new poetic of the domestic space and our own dialogue with nature" or eco-oriented with "what it means to tackle eco-anxiety today" or just plain "I explain Mindful Design* to newbies".

Choose what fits.

My work here is to show the inner discourses we have about our world and the way this is all going.

Weirdly enough, the way we build our homes is a mirroring of our perceived relationship with nature and cosmos. Considering Climate change, this is important stuff.

It is less about architecture than one might think.

The honeypot

There's a handbook I wrote. It’s the method I use for Listening to Land before I build on it. It's free if you subscribe. You can also go all generous and go here for a free-pricing purchase.

But it's really no need.

My purpose here is not to make a buck selling to a minuscule niche. My purpose is to make the niche bigger. As big as the world.

My niche is getting you involved in your own micro-climate. Your own specific context. Getting you to understand it and love it. Zoom out and see - feel - the bigger picture.

The videos

Lately I have been involved in The Carbon Almanac Network, a project generously led by Seth Godin that stands to bring the facts about climate change on the table. It led to the beautiful Connect the Carbon Dots project, which put me in contact with a bunch of incredible thinkers and soulful spirits, and to the birth of a systems thinking approach to Climate solutions. Basically, “It’s all connected“.

Jo’s Epistolary is free. If you feel there is value in what I do, you can chose to click this link below:

* Yes, Mindful Architecture is a word I made up. It means what it means. If it mean to you what it means to me, you will love Jo’s Epistolary!

Listen to your Land

My website is listentoyour.land. As Listen to your Land is exploding into a holistic infinite game, it makes sense to spread the word anywhere I can, via b2b consulting, courses and webinars.

Plans

I have a habit of making pretty house plans out of context.

Yes, it’s counter to everything I preach.

But in the case of the smaller ones - and provided they are mindfully placed on their plot of land - purchasing one can be a very cost effective way to get a beautiful, bioclimatic, biophilic and low-impact home plan. One that people like in particular is this one, the Toiny house.

Coaching

I also coach self-builders, meaning we meet online and talk about their home project. If that sounds nice, you can book here. The first session has a no-questions-asked money-back guarantee.

Everything else

My “all links place“ is here: jopetroni.com. This is where I store all of my… well, links. (I even have a Tumblr, for the nostalgic in you)

Projects I’m involved with lately

Climate-proof your Home

Climate-proof your Home is my signature 8-week course where we explore practical, down-to-earth solutions for making our homes more resilient. It's where ancient wisdom meets modern challenges, without the fancy tech price tag.

What makes it different? We focus on what works for YOUR specific context. No cookie-cutter solutions here - just practical strategies tailored to your home's unique microclimate and your family's needs. Through live sessions and community support, we tackle climate challenges together, making the journey less daunting and, dare I say, occasionally fun.

And yes, there's a pug involved. Because sometimes the most serious work needs a touch of levity.

You'll find more about the course at maven.com/jopetroni/climateproof/, but fair warning - spots fill up quickly for each cohort, and I keep the groups intentionally small to ensure everyone gets the attention they need.

Regenerative Patterns

Regenerative Patterns is my ongoing research initiative that guides practitioners and enthusiasts in their place-based regenerative work.

This isn't just another sustainability framework. We're exploring how natural systems, cultural elements, and human development interconnect to create lasting positive change. Think of it as a dance where every element - from local ecosystems to community needs - moves in harmony.

The project stems from years of practical experience and collaboration with leading thinkers in regenerative design. We're building a knowledge base that bridges the gap between theory and practice, helping teams create solutions that truly belong to their context.

Currently accepting collaborations and research partnerships.

Visit regenerative-patterns.com to learn more about joining this transformative journey.

WerkWell and LivWell

At LivWell we're developing next-generation communities that you will want to live in. Picture master-planned developments that integrate regenerative agriculture with renewable energy systems and circular economy principles. We're currently bringing this vision to life across three remarkable sites - from a wellness-focused communities to a jungle villages with tree houses.

What excites me most? We're shifting the narrative of how we live with our places, creating communities that restore rather than deplete their environments. The best part? It's working - both for people and for investors.

Listen to your Land

The Listen methodology now guides multi-million dollar developments across three continents, proving that mindful, context-based design can work at any scale. From integrating regenerative agriculture in the Pacific Northwest to protecting jaguar habitats in Costa Rica, each project demonstrates how deep listening leads to better outcomes.

Want to learn more about Listen to Your Land? Check out listentoyour.land or grab my free handbook by subscribing below.

Connect the Carbon Dots

From The Carbon Almanac work with Seth Godin emerged something beautiful - a women-led consultancy helping businesses navigate climate complexity through systems thinking. As one of the co-founders, I work with innovative companies ready to shift from "less bad" to actively enriching both their bottom line and the world.

We're currently running pilot projects blending this approach with Listen to Your Land methodology. Curious? Reach out at connectthecarbondots.com

Cassiopea

Speaking of connecting dots, we’re also building Cassiopea, a fascinating tool that visualizes how information and ideas interconnect. Think of it as a constellation map for complex thoughts - perfect for those of us working with systems thinking and regenerative design.

The tool is currently in beta, helping thinkers untangle complexity with style. If you're curious about making sense of interconnected ideas, check it out at cassiopea.app.

If you like what I do in general and would like to show some love, I’ve just set up a Ko-fi page. Just click the cute button: