Hub/The Domain

Systems

Closed-loop system entries. Pallet-mountable infrastructure nodes documented with retail and salvage paths.

System Entry: Power IBC

Distributed Power Node
Pallet-mountable autonomous power system providing 10 kW continuous / 20 kW peak from battery storage, solar input, and generator backup. 120V/240V split-phase output.
Origin Constraint
Grid power is the single largest dependency tying communities to the general economy. A system that fits on a standard pallet, ships by existing logistics, and provides welding/refrigeration/communications-grade power from day one eliminates that dependency at the smallest possible scale.
Scale
Pioneer (1–5 people) — enables everything else. Power is the first dependency after water.

Inputs

  • Solar: 2–4 kW array
  • Backup: 5–8.5 kW dual-fuel generator (gasoline/propane)
  • Ambient: charge from any 120V/240V source when available

Outputs

  • Primary: 120V/240V split-phase, 10 kW continuous
  • Peak: 20 kW (welders, motors, surge loads)
  • Secondary: 12V/24V DC bus for direct loads (lighting, pumps, communications)
Core Specifications
15 kWh LiFePO4 battery bank. Form factor: 1 m³ (standard pallet). Weight loaded: ~600 lbs. Forklift/pallet-jack deployable.
Operational Simplicity
Plug-and-play at the output side. Charge controller manages solar/generator/grid input automatically. Non-expert operation: flip breaker, connect loads. Maintenance: battery monitoring (BMS handles cell balancing), generator oil changes, panel cleaning. A non-expert can operate this. Wiring modifications require electrical knowledge.

Retail Path

LiFePO4 cells (server rack pulls or new), hybrid inverter/charger, MPPT charge controller, breaker panel, solar panels, generator. Estimated: $4–6K new components.

Salvage Path

Salvaged server rack LiFePO4 cells (data center decomissions), used inverters from solar installers, surplus IBC tote cage as frame ($50–150), salvaged breaker panel, used solar panels. Estimated: $3–4K. Critical constraint: BMS must be functional — no salvage shortcut on battery management.

Loop Connections
Power enables every other system. Without it, no welding (Workshop IBC), no UV sterilization (Water IBC), no refrigeration (food preservation), no communications.
Power IBC → Workshop IBC → Fabrication → More Infrastructure
Power IBC → Water IBC → Clean Water → Food Production

System Entry: Water IBC

Distributed Water Node
Pallet-mountable multi-stage water filtration and pressurized distribution from any source — well, stream, catchment, or cistern. 5–10 GPM. Operational within hours of placement.
Origin Constraint
Clean water from unknown sources. Municipal water requires infrastructure dependency. Untreated surface water carries pathogen risk. A system that takes any water input and produces potable output, deployable in hours, eliminates the second-largest dependency after power.
Scale
Pioneer (1–5 people) — water is the non-negotiable floor. Nothing else operates without it.

Inputs

  • Raw water from any source (well, stream, rainwater catchment, cistern)
  • Electrical power for UV sterilization and pressure pump (from Power IBC)

Outputs

  • Primary: Potable water at 5–10 GPM, pressurized
  • Secondary: Greywater stream (post-use) → irrigation
  • Secondary: Filter backwash → sediment for construction
Core Specifications
Multi-stage filtration: sediment pre-filter, activated carbon, UV sterilization. Pressurized manifold for distribution. Form factor: 1 m³ (standard pallet). Weight loaded: ~600 lbs.
Operational Simplicity
Connect source, connect power, open valve. Filter replacement is the primary maintenance task — indicator gauges show when pressure drops signal filter change. UV bulb replacement annually. A non-expert can operate and maintain this with written instructions.

Retail Path

Whole-house filtration components, UV sterilizer, pressure pump, manifold fittings, IBC tote. Estimated: $2–4K new components.

Salvage Path

Surplus IBC tote ($50–150), used RO membranes from commercial systems, salvaged UV sterilizers, used pressure tanks from well systems, food-grade plumbing from restaurant decommissions. Estimated: $3–4K. Critical constraint: filter media and UV bulbs are consumables — no salvage shortcut on what touches drinking water.

Loop Connections
Clean water enables food production, sanitation, and construction (concrete mixing, tool cooling). Greywater output closes the irrigation loop.
Water IBC → Potable Water → Food Production → Compost → Soil
Water IBC → Greywater → Irrigation → Food Production

System Entry: Workshop IBC

Distributed Workshop Node
Pallet-mountable fabrication capability — MIG/stick welding, plasma cutting, grinding, drilling. The system that builds other systems. Fold-out work surface from IBC cage structure.
Origin Constraint
Without fabrication capability, every repair and every new build requires external contractors or supply chain access. The Workshop IBC is the multiplier — the system that makes all other systems maintainable and extensible on-site. Without it, infrastructure degrades toward dependency.
Scale
Pioneer (1–5 people) — the third node. Power and water enable survival. The workshop enables building.

Inputs

  • Electrical power: 240V for welders, plasma (from Power IBC)
  • Welding consumables: wire, rod, gas, cutting tips
  • Raw materials: steel, aluminum, hardware

Outputs

  • Primary: Fabrication and repair capability
  • Secondary: External revenue (mobile construction services)
  • Secondary: Skill transfer (apprenticeship capacity)
Core Specifications
MIG/stick welding: 140–180A capacity. Plasma cutting capability. Grinder, drill press, vise, saw. Fold-out work surface from cage structure. Form factor: 1 m³ (standard pallet). Weight loaded: ~600 lbs.
Operational Simplicity
Operation requires welding and fabrication skills — this is the one IBC node where the operator needs training. Self-teachable: grinding, drilling, basic cutting. Requires experienced guidance: MIG welding (weeks), stick welding (months), plasma cutting (days). The Workshop IBC is the system where the skill IS the system.

Retail Path

MIG welder, stick welder, plasma cutter, grinder, drill press, vise, saw, work surface. IBC tote cage as frame. Estimated: $3–5K new components.

Salvage Path

Used welders from equipment auctions, plasma cutters from shop closures, salvaged drill presses and vises, surplus IBC cage ($50–150), scrap steel for work surface. Estimated: $3–4K. Critical constraint: welding leads and gas regulators must be functional — safety-critical components have no salvage shortcut.

Loop Connections
The Workshop IBC is the meta-system. It builds, repairs, and extends every other node. Without fabrication, infrastructure can only be maintained through external dependency. With it, the community can build what it needs next.
Workshop IBC → Fabrication → Infrastructure Repair → Extended System Life
Workshop IBC → Revenue (Services) → Materials → More Fabrication

System Entry: Sleeve Pump

First entry in the knowledge commons. This is the format every system follows.

Manual Water Extraction — Sleeve Pump
Extracts groundwater from depths up to 40 meters without electricity, using human power. Child-operable in seesaw configuration.
Origin Constraint
Gaviotas sits on the Llanos Orientales. Water table 40 meters deep. No electrical grid. Conventional pumps require power and maintenance expertise the community didn’t have. The constraint generated the invention: a pump so simple a child on a seesaw can operate it.
Scale
Pioneer (1–5 people) — This is the first system. Everything else depends on water.

Inputs

  • Human mechanical energy (seesaw, hand lever, or direct pump action)
  • Access to groundwater within 40m depth

Outputs

  • Primary: Potable water
  • Secondary: Irrigation capacity (enables food production)
  • Secondary: Gravity head potential (if pumped to elevated storage → enables ram pump, gravity-fed distribution)
Operational Simplicity
Operable by anyone who can use a seesaw. No training required for operation. Maintenance: sleeve replacement (the flexible cylinder that creates the seal) is the primary wear item — replaceable with basic tools and locally available flexible material. A non-expert can repair it.

Retail Path

PVC pipe (2”–4” diameter), flexible sleeve material (leather, rubber, or reinforced fabric), check valve, seesaw frame (steel or hardwood). Available through plumbing and hardware suppliers. Approximate cost: $150–$400 depending on depth.

Salvage Path

PVC pipe from construction salvage. Sleeve from old tire inner tube, leather scraps, or heavy canvas. Check valve from salvaged plumbing. Frame from scrap steel or available hardwood. Total cost: near zero if materials are available. The critical constraint: the sleeve must create a seal. Everything else is structure.

Adversarial Conditions
15,000+ field deployments across rural Colombia. Operates without electricity, without specialized tools, without supply chain access. Known failure: sleeve degradation over time (replaceable). Degraded-mode operation: even a partially worn sleeve extracts water, just less efficiently.
Loop Connections
Water is the first node in every closed-loop system. The sleeve pump enables:
Sleeve Pump → Potable Water → Irrigation → Food Production → Compost → Soil
Sleeve Pump → Elevated Storage → Gravity Head → Ram Pump → Distribution

This is a seed entry. The full loop map — an interactive graph where nodes are systems and edges are resource flows — is future infrastructure. For now: water first. Everything else builds on water.

Succession Note

The domain layer is at Pioneer succession. The Recognition Infrastructure operating system is at Early. This is appropriate: the operating system is more mature than the domain it’s being applied to. One system entry exists. The format is established. What comes next is more entries, more loop connections, and eventually the interactive map. That’s Early succession work for the domain — testing whether this format transfers to systems beyond the Gaviotas reference case.

Which of these systems did your body lean toward? The one that pulled you is where your development edge is.

Connected Nodes
The Domain The practical knowledge commons — adversarial-condition principles and the Gaviotas reference case. Practice Four practices, one per vertex. The smallest unit of genuine work. Succession The four-stage cycle: Pioneer, Early, Mid, Climax. Vertices Four capacities. Each necessary. None sufficient alone.