Why issho Exists: My Journey, Our Future
Welcome to the issho Blog. This is the first post of many you’ll see from our team. We’re nine strong now, and soon you’ll hear from each of us. But I wanted to start by sharing my story — why I started issho, why it matters, and what I hope it brings to the world.
Two Sparks That Lit issho
The first spark came in Canada, living on nine acres of pristine forest. I set out to live self-sufficiently — generating my own energy, producing food, securing clean water, and breathing fresh indoor air. It was rewarding, but also exhausting. Everything was complicated, and technology shifted faster than I could keep up. Surely there had to be an easier way to step into resilient living.
The second spark came during COVID in North Carolina. A group of friends and I dreamed of building a community on 155 acres near Asheville — growing food together, raising families together, finding safety during uncertain times. But as the pandemic deepened, we couldn’t hold it together. I was left asking: what would a resilient, nature-integrated, regenerative home really look like?
Those questions became issho.
What “issho” Means
Our name comes from the Japanese word for “to put together; to join.” It captures what we’re about:
01
Togetherness in design.
The individual Namu modules are designed to physically be joined together. Combining diverse modules into a singular home provides greater capabilities that lead to increased opportunity for self-sufficiency and resiliency. Namu coming together is much like a community supporting itself through the various strengths and characteristics of its people.
02
Togetherness in community.
A community is only as strong and capable as its ability to come together during challenging and difficult times. Whether it’s a 290-square-foot Namu Rest or a 5,000-square-Live, every Namu is built with the same common theme of unity and vitality.
03
Togetherness in healing.
Much like the approach of Eastern medicine, which looks at the whole body rather than just the symptom, issho’s Namu and Revive solutions provide holistic and systemic approaches to self-sufficiency and resiliency. True nurturing and healing of people and place happen only when done together, benefiting both people and nature.
04
Togetherness in mission.
issho is not just a designer and builder of homes through Habitat, nor simply an installer of solar panels, greywater systems, and grow walls through Revive. issho exists to support the individual, the family, and the community on their journey toward a resilient and self-sufficient lifestyle. We offer our solutions, and ourselves, to discover and accomplish a better life of vitality and connection with nature, together.
Looking Forward
issho is the manifestation of two sparks that became one vision: homes and communities designed not to consume, but to regenerate.
That’s what this blog will be about too — a space where we share our perspectives, our work, and our hopes for the future. Because the only way forward is together.
—Eric Amyot
Founder of issho
